


Eyes of Agni

by cannaduh



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Eventual Romance, F/M, Post-Canon, Post-Finale, Post-War, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10657347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cannaduh/pseuds/cannaduh
Summary: They were part of his favorite story, the one his mother would tell him every night. When she was gone and he was too old for bedtime stories, they were a reminder for the lost young man he had been that he could make his own destiny. Post finale, eventual Zutara. (Originally posted on fanfiction)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So I originally posted this on fanfiction.net back in 2015 (I've been on that site since 2010.) But with the appearance of AO3, I thought I would post this here to see which platform I prefer. I haven't edited anything between this version and the last other than this Author's Note so if you've already read this on the other site don't feel like you're missing anything. I will definitely go back through this version to fix some formatting errors though. Until then, enjoy! Thanks so much!

Katara hadn't said a single word since they left Yon Rha cowering in the mud. Even when Zuko had reached down from Appa's saddle to hoist her up - a gesture that would normally result in a cold glare and rejection from the waterbender - she said nothing. She simply took his hands into her own and jumped up into the saddle without a word. Now Zuko held Appa's reigns and Katara sat behind him, staring out over the ocean at the parting storm clouds.

With the amount of traveling he had done during his banishment, he had grown accustomed to silence, welcomed it even. He wasn't one for conversation anyways considering that he had spent the past few years with only his Uncle as truly amicable company. Not that he had spoken to Uncle willingly, young Zuko had much preferred to sit alone in his cabin, undisturbed and left to brood.

Still, much to his surprise, Zuko felt the strong urge to say something - anything really - to the girl.

Katara had just faced down her monster, the man who took her mother away. The man who had hurt her in a way that no one else had before. The man - save probably for Zuko himself - that Katara hated most in the world.

The young firebender shook his head and checked the map. They would be back to camp before dusk, he guessed judging from their position.

As he rolled it back up and turned to place it in his pack, he snuck a glance behind him to check on Katara. She sat perfectly still, her long brown hair whipping in the wind. However, Zuko was surprised to find, she had turned around to face him.

Unlike before, Katara's face had no trace of that quiet rage, the determination, that thirst for vengeance that was so apparent in her eyes the previous night. In their place was something more solemn… something that Zuko understood. Her wide blue eyes were rimmed red, and she seemed to be looking straight through him.

Tears streaked her face.

"I-I couldn't do it…" she whispered, her wide blue eyes meeting his gold, "why couldn't I do it? Am I really that weak?"

He was at a loss for words. What would Uncle say? Agni, what would Uncle say?

Katara continued to hold his gaze, and he saw more tears forming. Her shoulders didn't shake, however, and her breath didn't catch. The tears just slipped silently down her cheeks.

Zuko turned his head slightly, not able to look at her directly as he started speaking.

"You know…" he began softly, hoping his voice would reach her over the sound of the wind "you know, ah, back in Ba Sing Se?"

He felt his cheeks flush, a wave of doubt passed over him as he remembered the glowing lights of the cave and warm fingers on his cheek. Should he really be reminding her of why she hated him?

When Katara gave him no response, he swallowed his fear and continued.

"I had never expected to see you," Zuko said, recalling his surprise when he looked up from the dirt to see the angry waterbender, "But there you were, just as fierce and passionate as I knew from our fights, shouting at me, challenging me, calling me out."

He turned forward, watching as the storm clouds dissipated and the sun began to peek through them. After a moment, he spoke again.

"I didn't know what to say, or what to think for that matter. I couldn't apologize for the pain my people have caused you because I knew it wouldn't make up for the loss." Zuko looked down at his hands that clutched Appa's reins. "But then you... the girl who threatened me, fought against me, the girl who I had only seen as an enemy, an obstacle… there you were offering to free me from my mark, offering me compassion and kindness that I didn't deserve." Zuko let out a deep breath. "And I wasted it…"

He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to turn around to see her face. "I guess… I guess what I'm trying to say is… it's you. Despite everything that I had done to you, to your brother, and to Aang… you still showed me kindness." Zuko swallowed nervously. "Your hands are meant for healing, Katara," his voice was soft when he said her name, "They aren't meant for revenge. So no. You aren't weak because you failed to kill Yon Rha, and you aren't evil because you wanted to... You choose compassion and kindness and mercy… and I think that takes great strength..."

He peeked over his shoulder at Katara. She had pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, as if she were holding herself together. Her eyes remained focused on his. She said nothing.

He turned away from her, tightening his grip on Appa's reigns. Had he said the right thing? Zuko wasn't sure exactly how to comfort someone, but for some reason the sight of Katara's tears made his stomach twist. He attributed this to the fact that she didn't deserve any more pain after everything he had done to her.

Later, when Katara hugged him for the first time and he felt her in his arms - all warm and soft and forgiving - Zuko felt a weight lift off of his shoulders.

* * *

 

"And then the guard threw me right out of the door onto the street! All because of a stupid haiku!"

Aang and Toph laughed loudly at Sokka's anecdote. Suki giggled and gave Sokka a loving peck on the cheek.

"Honestly, Snoozles," Toph guffawed, "a poetry club? What's next? Are you going to join the Kyoshi warriors? I'm sure Suki would love to put you in one of those outfits!"

Suki gave Sokka a cheeky grin, "Who says I haven't already?"

The laughter grew louder, and Zuko quite enjoyed the shade of red the water tribe boy became.

The campfire glowed brightly in the center of their little circle, shadows dancing across their faces as the flames flickered. The six teens all reclined around it, drinking tea and listening as they exchanged stories with one another. Zuko found himself smirking in spite of himself.

"Come on, guys," Sokka grumbled, "Every guy has their embarrassing stories! Heck, I bet even Zuko does!" He glared around at everyone in the group, his eyes falling on the boy in question.

Katara scoffed, drawing her brother's attention, "In your dreams, Sokka. You remember Zuko when we first met him, all angry and demanding! He was so focused on Aang, I doubt that he had time for anything else."

Zuko turned to the girl sitting next to him and frowned. She only shrugged her shoulders at him as if saying sorry, it's true!

"That may be true, Katara," Sokka continued. Zuko glared at the water tribe boy as the latter examined him over the fire, eyes narrowed, a hand rubbing his chin. Zuko was about to growl something back when Sokka's eyes widened.

"What about when he was in Ba Sing Se! C'mon, Zuko, we didn't see you for weeks!" Sokka looked around at his friends, as if searching for agreement, before turning to Zuko and jabbing a stiff finger in his general direction, "Don't tell me you didn't get some attention!"

Zuko glared at Sokka. Honestly, Ba Sing Se? All Zuko knew in Ba Sing Se was the cramped apartment and Uncle's tea shop, in fact the few only other times he went out was as the Blue Spirit (something he certainly wasn't going to talk about right now) and that one time with Jin.

Jin. Zuko felt his heart jump at the realization before it settled somewhere at the bottom of his stomach.

Toph grinned wickedly. "Sparky? You got something to share?"

Zuko knew a dirty look was wasted on the little blind girl. He instead stared angrily at the fire.

"You have a girl you left in Ba Sing Se?" Toph taunted, "I'm not a fan of the city, but I hear that the girls are pretty."

Zuko remembered an airy laugh, food in his hair, lights reflecting on water. He exhaled slowly.

Katara nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "C'mon, Zuko. It can't be that bad…"

Zuko looked up at her. Her eyebrows were raised, but she had a taunting smirk on her face that Zuko took as a challenge.

He sighed.

"... there was this one time… Uncle made me."

Zuko went on to tell the story of his first real date, how his Uncle spent ten minutes doing his hair only to have it messed up in the first few seconds. Much to his annoyance, the group laughed when he told them about his failed juggling attempt. They stayed quiet as he tells them about the unlit lanterns and Jin's disappointment.

"So… I-uh- I told her to close her eyes," Zuko said, "and then I lit the lanterns."

"Where'd you get the spark rocks?" Aang asked.

Zuko looked down and rubbed the back of his neck." … I didn't…"

The group was silent for a moment until Sokka spoke up.

"Wait…" He pulled himself away from Suki to rest his elbows on his knees, gesturing towards Zuko.

"Let me get this straight. You used firebending in the middle of the Earth Kingdom Capital to impress a girl?"

Zuko gave Sokka a half-hearted shrug and crossed his arms across his chest as he glared angrily at the fire.

Sokka stared at Zuko incredulously, and then, to Zuko's chagrin, a slow smile snaked its way across Sokka's features.

"I'm actually pretty impressed. You've got game."

Zuko groaned, but the sound was lost in the other's laughter.

"Honestly! Who knew Sparky here could be such a romantic!" Toph guffawed.

Sokka hiccuped and clutched his stomach as he tried to catch his breath, "N-no wonder you have a girlfriend! Although I'm surprised Mai can stay so gloomy when she has such a -" Sokka clasped his hands together and pouted at Zuko mockingly, "- sweet, caring, and romantic man in her life!"

Zuko was only vaguely aware of the laughter around him as well as the surprised response of "You have a girlfriend?" from Aang and "Mai?" from Katara who whipped around to look at him in surprise.

Zuko didn't catch her eyes for he had stood and stormed away to his tent before he even realized his feet were moving.

He plopped down onto his bedroll with a huff. He wasn't angry with the others for teasing him, rather, he was angry at the sudden guilt that settled in the pit of his stomach. He was angry with himself for realizing that he left Mai stranded at the Boiling Rock with his sister of all people! Not to mention after she had just saved his life. And he didn't even have the decency or compassion to even think about her and her fate! Agni, he was despicable.

Falling flat onto his back, Zuko stared up at the cloth ceiling of his tent. It was windy and the fabric rustled. After a long while, the sounds of the others outside faded and he guessed that they had gone to their tents as well. He frowned. He hadn't meant to ruin the mood, but Sokka just had to bring up such a touchy subject.

Then there was a gentle voice calling to him.

"Uhm, Zuko? Can I come in?"

He didn't answer but looked up to find Katara pulling back the flap and entering his tent.

"Do you need something?" he asked in a low voice. Hearing his tone, Katara seemed to hesitate for a moment as if trying to determine his current mind set. She seemed to make a decision though as she cleared her throat and settled into a lotus position in front of him.

"I - ah - wanted to see if you were okay," she said plainly.

Zuko frowned at her, "And why wouldn't I be okay?" The question was redundant, he knew why she came. That's what she was like, always worrying, always mothering.

"Well, you kind've stormed away a little dramatically. Everyone was a little worried."

Zuko shrugged, stubbornly refusing to meet the girl's eyes. "I didn't ask for them to worry about me. And I'm not going to turn on Aang if that's what you're thinking so you can leave."

Katara didn't move, and she didn't say anything for a long moment. Zuko turned away from her - hoping that she would eventually leave - and turned to polish his broadswords.

She didn't leave, but after a long moment of what Zuko guessed to be deliberation, Katara asked him a question, her voice measured as if she hoped that the words wouldn't ignite something.

"What happened to Mai?"

There was a hiss as Zuko jerked his arm away from the blade in his lap, blood dripping from the tips of two of his fingers. He glanced from his hand to the bare tent around frantically, looking for something to wipe the blood with. In a moment, however, Katara had crawled forward and taken his hand into hers. She sat right beside him, and pulled water from the pouch around her waist. Zuko was quiet as her glowing hand swept over his own.

Her voice was soft, and she didn't look at him as she brushed her fingers over his. "They haven't given us many details about it… but Suki did mention that you ran into your sister back at Boiling Rock. And I was a little surprised that Mai and Ty Lee weren't with her at the temple."

Katara was finished healing Zuko's hand, but neither of them moved. His hand stayed rested in her palm

"Did something happen back at the prison?"

To his misfortune, Zuko took this moment to finally look up at Katara. Her wide, blue eyes stared back at him unabashedly.

Now, aside from from the heavy guilt weighing him down, he felt like the temperature in his tent had suddenly risen. He pulled his hand away from her, but Katara seemed unaffected. She stared at him in the same manner, waiting for him to speak.

Heat rushed to his cheeks and he looked away quickly.

"Zuko."

He wasn't sure if it was due to his discomfort or if something deep inside him really wanted to give something to the girl in front of him, but Zuko responded with a soft, resigned "Yeah."

He sensed as Katara inched a little closer.

"Yeah…" Zuko's voice was low as if he was afraid of someone overhearing, "Sokka and I snuck in dressed as guards… and well… soon I found out that the prison warden was… well…"

Katara's face was laced with concern. She sat surprisingly close to him, their knees an inch or two apart.

He continued, "Mai's uncle."

The weight in his stomach didn't settle as Zuko told the story of their break out, growing more agitated as the story progressed. Katara didn't speak as he did, she just continued to watch him in concern, shifting only once to sit in the lotus position.

"And well… the last thing I saw as the gondola jerked forward was Mai sticking about a dozen men with her knives."

Zuko groaned and brought his hands to his face, "Honestly! How could I be so selfish! I didn't even think twice when we left that gondola! I know how my sister is, I didn't even consider what she would do to Mai for her betrayal!"

Zuko was honestly disgusted with himself, so many people had suffered because of him and his blatant inability to figure out his path in life. Even if Mai had been on his sister's side, she left Azula to side with him, and how did he repay her? He abandoned her! He had been so preoccupied with winning the Avatar's approval as well as the approval of the boy's friends that Mai hadn't even crossed his mind.

"It's not your fault, Zuko," Katara said. She sounded sure and confident of this and for some reason that annoyed Zuko even further.

"Yeah, of course it's not, Katara," he said sarcastically, "because I definitely didn't just tell you about how I stranded my girlfriend in the middle of a volcano with my devil sister!"

Katara huffed at him, her cheeks reddening as her mouth twisted into a scowl. "Zuko. You can't shoulder the burden all of the time!"

"I'm not shouldering anything, Katara!" Zuko was fuming by this point, his hands clenched in anger. "This is my fault! I could have left her to her death for all I know! And the saddest part is that she hasn't even crossed my mind since!"

This was true. Zuko had spent the time after his trip with Katara, trying to win her trust. And he now realized that his face was a mere inches away from Katara's. He felt flushed and his stomach knotted. Why was he even telling her all of this? He didn't think that she honestly cared.

"You're being unreasonable," Katara said slowly for emphasis, "Mai made the decision for herself! She knows just as well as you do what your sister can be like and she still chose to act the way she did. She's her own person just as you are and both of you make your own decisions."

Zuko refused to answer or even look at Katara, not until she reached out and placed her palms on top of his clenched fists. Zuko stared at their hands. She squeezed his lightly.

"Zuko," she said softly, "from my experiences with Mai she's as deadly as her senbon and by implying that she needed you to save her - well- I think that's a little unfair to her. She's strong. She can handle it. You can't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong."

Katara smiled at him. Her eyes shone with encouragement and reassurance. He couldn't look away. "You're with us now, Zuko. You've found the right side, you're doing your part to restore balance, and we will help Mai as soon as we can. I'm sure she will understand. I mean she loves you and you love her don't you?"

She spoke of love so simply, and for some reason, Zuko hesitated when he replied with a yes.

When Katara left his tent a few moments later, his previous feeling of guilt was gone but it was replaced by something new and strange that made him nervous.

* * *

 

The moon was full the first night that Zuko found himself back on Ember Island. He briefly contemplated the irony of his second visit. A few months ago he had been with his sister and her friends, now he was here with the Avatar and the Avatar's friends.

Life changes very quickly, he decided.

The teens had been ecstatic to be staying in the lavish and comfortable - albeit a little dusty - royal beach house. Zuko dreaded it. Of course, he and Azula had burned a lot of the sentimental pieces on their last visit, but the halls still held the ghosts of the long summers he had spent here when he was a boy.

When he was young and innocent and honor and destiny were just things his Uncle mentioned in his nonsensical proverbs.

Now, Zuko lay on the beach, his feet buried in the sand and a lantern nestled in the sand to his right. The buzz of summer cicadas and the sound of waves breaking a few yards in front of him. Zuko considered how far he had come to make it to exactly this point. His Uncle was right in saying that he had gone through a metamorphosis; he was definitely a different person from the angry thirteen year old sent to hunt the Avatar.

If only he had realized sooner then maybe Uncle wouldn't hate him.

The sky was the kind of clear only seen in the summer and the stars only further reminded Zuko of his three years at sea with his Uncle when he had learned how to navigate by the stars. Slowly, he raised his hand to trace the familiar shapes in the sky: the tsuzumi drum, the phoenixes Huang and Feng, the water dragon Mizuchi, even the two brightest stars making the Eyes of Agni. The Eyes of Agni were always Zuko's favorite. His mother had told him the story of the fire god and his volcanos that made the rich land of the Fire Nation. The god had left the earth and retreated into the heavens, but he watched over the people of his nation, bringing them messages from the realm of gods.

It was for this reason that Zuko always looked to the Eyes when he was at sea. They offered him comfort in the belief that Agni was always watching over him, guiding him towards his destiny. They gave him hope that he would find his path.

Zuko watched the two twinkling lights fondly before deciding, begrudgingly, to find somewhere to sleep. He could probably settle into one of the plump couches in the lounge room... any of the bedrooms would bring back too many memories and he would like to get as much sleep as possible.

Standing up and stretching, Zuko brushed the grains of sand from his back and turned to start up the hill. He didn't get very far before he heard a loud splash coming from the ocean somewhere to his left. He paused and strained to see if there was anything out in the darkness. Sure enough, he could just make out the familiar silhouette of a waterbender standing knee deep in the dark water.

Zuko stopped and watched her as she moved in and out of various bending forms. Waterbending was a graceful Art in comparison to the powerful strikes of firebending. Each form flowed into the next and water spiraled and looped at her will.

As he walked closer, leaving the lantern behind and instead cradling a small flame in his palm, Zuko was reminded of a story that Aang had told him a few days ago. During one of their few training breaks, Aang had taken it upon himself to get to know Zuko. First he asked about the fire nation and its culture and customs and Zuko had been painfully reminded of how old the avatar actually was when the boy called him "sifu Hotman." However, as he watched Katara he remembered another part of the conversation, a part concerning the girl.

Aang had mentioned that they had stumbled across a small fishing village on their travels through the fire nation. A small village that loved and worshipped a spirit called the Painted Lady. Zuko knew the story as well as he knew that of the Eyes of Agni. The story of the Painted Lady had been Azula's favorite... Until she decided that kindness was equivalent to weakness.

But it was somehow unsurprising to Zuko that Katara had become the Painted Lady, a spirit known for her kindness and love. And Zuko wasn't blind, Katara could definitely pass for a river spirit, she glowed under the light of the moon and the water around her glittered like fallen stars.

He finally got close enough for her to see him so he sat down in the sand to wait for her to notice.

It only took a second for him to be surrounded by icicles pinning him to the sand. And it only took another second for Katara to call out in concern when she recognized the boy.

"Oh, Zuko! I'm sorry!" She called as the icicles around him melted leaving his clothes wet.

Katara jumped out of the water and landed lightly in the sand before she ran towards him. Zuko concentrated and steamed his clothes dry before standing up to greet her.

"I'm so sorry, Zuko" she said breathlessly, "I didn't think anyone would still be out! It's pretty late!"

She smiled at him before bending the water out of her clothes and onto the sand.

Zuko shrugged. "The night is a good time to think... I don't want to bother you if you're practicing though..."

Katara shook her head. "No! It's okay I just can never sleep on nights with the full moon. I rise with the moon remember?" She smirked and placed a hand on her hip.

Zuko rolled his eyes, leave it to her to remind him. "Yes, and I rise with the sun I know. I know."

Katara laughed and plopped down in the sand, gesturing for Zuko to sit next to her. He did.

"Whenever the full moon is out I just can't sit still." She motioned towards the ocean and a stream of water pulled towards her wrapping around her arm. She twisted her fingers and it gathered on her palm in a pool. "It's like it's calling to me, pulling me." She let the water drain from her fingers into the sand.

"I get it," Zuko said, "I feel the sun too... Especially on the summer solstice." Even now, because of the hot summer months Zuko felt each breath threaten to smoke like a puffing dragon.

Katara sighed. "I told Aang about it, but I don't think he feels it as intensely as I do... Maybe it's because he's the Avatar and he's always had a preference for air."

They chatted back and forth for a while, Katara often teasing Zuko and the boy responding back with short, quick replies that made Katara huff and Zuko smirk. Gradually, the conversation turned to the stars and Zuko found himself telling Katara the story of the Eyes. She listened closely and then told him a Water Tribe story about the moon spirit chasing the sun. Zuko decided that he wanted to know more Water Tribe stories.

The two fell into a silence afterwards until Katara continued. "The full moon just makes me feel so powerful..." Her sentence trailed off wistfully as she lost herself in her thoughts.

After a few moments, Katara turned to him quickly, the moon only illuminated half of her face, but her eyes sparkled in its light like the water. They darted quickly as she examined each part of his face, searching for something.

Zuko swallowed thickly.

"I - I never explained something to you..." She said quietly with a deep breath, "Uhm... Back on the ship with the Southern Raiders..." Zuko noticed Katara's cheeks flush.

She was quiet for a long moment - deliberating - and Zuko ripped his eyes away from her to watch the ocean again.

After another long moment, she spoke again with a voice barely above a whisper.

"It's called bloodbending..."

Zuko felt his brow furrow. He remembered his surprise when he watched the bigger man crumple like a rag doll. He remembered the fear he had felt when he realized that it was Katara who was moving his limbs like he was her puppet.

"Please don't tell anyone..." She whispered. "Especially Aang... Please don't tell him I did it..."

Zuko could hear the desperation in her voice. She looked so small and different from the girl who snarled at her mother's killer. She looked trapped and afraid.

"I promised myself I would never use it. It's evil and I honestly can't believe I did it... Please don't tell Aang." She grabbed onto his upper arm and squeezed, "I don't want him to worry about me. He's going through so much right now and I can't have him trying to fix my pain too... I don't want him to see me slip... I could never forgive myself for hurting him..." Her head was bowed and tears slipped down her nose.

After a long moment Katara spoke again.

"I don't want him to know that I'm a monster..." She whispered. Zuko wasn't sure if it was directed towards him, but it upset him nonetheless. Katara was not a monster. Katara - brave selfless and kind Katara - was not a monster. Ozai was a monster. Zhao was a monster. Yon Rha was a monster. But the girl sitting in front of him was not.

He wasn't sure what pushed him to act... Whether it was the tone of the girl's voice, a voice laced with self loathing - something that Zuko understood better than anyone else - or if it was something else deep within himself pushing, but Zuko did something that surprised both of them.

Slowly, he raised his left hand and pushed a strand of hair away from Katara's tear stained face. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he pulled her into his chest.

She stiffened at first, probably in surprise at the prince's rare show of emotion, but nevertheless, she soon melted into him and he held her close.

"You're not a monster…" Zuko murmured into her hair.

He felt the Eyes of Agni watching him.

* * *

 

Zuko used to hate the color blue. Blue was the color of the endless sea he sailed during his banishment. The sea that seemed so vast and empty, like it would swallow up his tiny ship. It was the color of his grandfather's fire, the cruel Fire Lord that sentenced him to death. It was the color of the Blue Spirit, his mask of shame. It was the color of his sister's lightning, a constant reminder of a standard he could never reach. He was the disappointment. He was the failure. He would always remain in the shadow of his sister.

Yet, when he came face to face with Azula, he accepted her challenge. Something was off, and Zuko naively thought that keeping Katara out of the fight would protect her. He naively thought that she needed protection.

That would explain the sudden fear that stopped his heart cold when he watched Azula's eyes dart somewhere behind him. It explained the pure terror he felt when the blue lightning scorched its way towards the girl behind him.

He didn't think, his body moved of its own accord, His instincts screaming, Stop. Stop. Stop the lightning. Don't let it hurt her. Protect her.

And then everything was blue, a burning painful blue that lit a fire in his chest.

He heard a shout. Was that his name? Was that Katara? He needed to get to her. Protect her from his sister.

Blue fire raged in his vision.

Zuko pushed himself up, his chest screaming out in pain from the effort. His arms shook beneath him and he hit the dirt hard.

Then suddenly, there was a snarl and the blue fire was gone. He let out a strangled gasp, hands clawing at the dirt. He wasn't going to make it he wasn't going to make it.

He was going to die, death by his sister's blue fire.

His pain clouded mind danced with visions of blue.

"Zuzu! Look what I can do!" Azula ran towards her brother, a bright blue fame resting in her palms.

"This boy is a disgrace," Azulon said in a low gravely voice, the orange flames of the throne room turning a bright blue.

"Mother abandoned us!" Azula yelled, hurling a rock into the blue turtleduck pond.

The blue sea swallowing up the land on the horizon as he sailed away.

The Blue Spirit mask, sinking to the bottom of Lake Laogai.

He had learned to hate the color. It only caused him pain. And yet here he was, desperately trying to protect a girl who came from a land of only blue and white.

Zuko's vision was fading. He had failed, just like he was always destined to.

He thought of his mother. He thought of his Uncle. He thought of Katara, the girl clad in blue.

He imagined he could see her eyes right now. Glowing like they did in the moonlight on Ember Island. Zuko had always thought blue was a cold color, cold and calculating like Azula and her lightning. Getting to know Katara changed that. He came to find comfort in the blue tones of her wardrobe. Found a playfulness to the color as she bent her element to spar with him. The glowing blue of her healing hands. The sparkle in her eyes.

In the blackness of his mind, Zuko was underwater. Maybe death felt like drowning. It seemed fitting, he decided, for death to feel like the element of the girl he sacrificed himself for.

There was a light somewhere above him, it was murky, like seeing the light of the moon from under the ocean waves. He swam towards it. As he got closer, the light changed into two pin points.

The Eyes of Agni.

The Eyes grew brighter as Zuko swam. Soon they illuminated the water in an ethereal blue light that was familiar to Zuko. Like the blue of Katara's healing water.

He thought of warm fingers on his cheek.

And then Zuko opened his eyes to find two blue eyes staring at him.

Katara.

Her hands were rested on his chest, coated in a layer of water. She had brought him back.

"Thank you, Katara," he gasped.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I think I'm the one that should be thanking you."

It wasn't until he met Katara did Zuko realize that blue could be beautiful.


	2. Part I.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow! I'm back! I'm probably more surprised than anyone else that I'm continuing this, but yay! There's nothing major in this chapter sorry, but this story is setting its own pace. For example, I had this really fluffy Zutara scene in here that I had to cut out because it just seemed way to sudden. Don't worry! It will probably reappear later on. :) Okay. Thanks for putting up with me.
> 
> Disclaimer: own nothing

 

Zuko couldn't remember ever feeling as peaceful as he did than when he was serving tea to his friends in the Jasmine Dragon. Even Sokka's horrible art couldn't take away from the fact that they had won.

They had ended the war, and all was well.

He still wasn't sure exactly how long he had been out after his Agni Kai, because he had been Katara's care for a while afterwards. She had insisted that no one was allowed to administer to him but her, and thus he had hazy recollections of her napping on a couch by his bed and scolding the others for being too noisy when they came to visit. By the end of what he guessed was about a week (when he finally felt somewhat like himself again), he had to yell at her to get some rest because he was fine and he could definitely bathe by himself. She had responded with a lot of pouting until Zuko had taken her hand and assured her that he was beyond grateful for everything she had done.

A few days later was his coronation, and he had been pleasantly surprised to see Mai. He hadn't had a chance to send word for her release because of his injury, and he guessed that her uncle had released his niece and Ty Lee as soon news of Azula's fall had reached them. He was beyond glad to see her safe and back with him. He had missed her.

Zuko placed the tray back onto the table and took his seat next to Mai. She turned towards him and gave him a soft look, the edges of her mouth turning up almost imperceptibly. Zuko took her hand and sighed contentedly as she leaned into his shoulder. His uncle's tea was warm in his hands.

Everyone was alive and together and happy. He had to admit, he couldn't believe the stories that the others - his friends - had told him: Toph singlehandedly taking out the top officers of an airship, Suki high-jacking her own, Sokka's crazy airship slice. In the back of his mind he made a promise that he would find Sokka's space sword and his boomerang, even if he had to scour every shady black market to do so. Maybe I won't even have to, he thought, as new… well Fire Lord I can probably just place some sort of bounty for them?

But Sokka deserved them back. He didn't mention it, but Zuko could imagine the pure terror he had faced on the airship - Suki gone, Toph dangling by just his fingertips, faced with a dozen comet charged firebenders at point blank range - it was a story going into the history books.

The war had taken its toll on all of them. Aang himself was a full fledged avatar now. He had placed the world on the track towards recovery and balance even without abandoning his morals. Zuko definitely could see how far the boy had come. He still looked and acted like the goofy kid he had trained, but Zuko knew better. Aang had finally come to terms with his responsibility to the world and did them.

But for now, everyone knew Aang definitely needed some rest after the stress the past year had put him through. Whether the avatar liked it or not, Katara would definitely see that he took care of himself. Aang needed her after everything that had happened, and Zuko would be okay without her. His chest pains were seldom, and when they occurred, the pain would always pass quickly. Although he missed Katara's doting and her calming presence, he didn't want to tie her down.

But still, he couldn't help but be a little surprised when Katara and Aang disappeared from the room, only to come back a few minutes later, a wide grin on Aang's face, a faint blush on Katara's, and their hands interlocked. Zuko had spent a lot of time with her in the past few weeks and Katara had never said anything about her feelings towards Aang that suggested anything beyond friendship. Then again, Zuko wasn't so great at picking up on those sort of nuances himself. He probably hadn't noticed given the other things that they had to worry about, namely the war.

The entire room all turned to Aang and Katara in curiosity, but before anyone could react, Sokka issued a loud gasp and stood abruptly, nearly knocking over his calligraphy ink.

He made a few incoherent noises and waved his arms about before pointing at Aang. "WHAT?!"

Zuko smirked as Aang grinned sheepishly and Katara rolled her eyes at her brother.

* * *

 

As he rinsed the warm water over the tea cups, Zuko heard footsteps behind him.

"You are no longer a tea server, Zuko. You don't need to do that, I know you never enjoyed it." There was a deep chuckle. "Plus I need to speak with you."

Zuko smiled and continued. "I may not be a tea server, Uncle. But I still am your nephew. I'll help."

Iroh sighed and he came to stand next to Zuko. He placed a warm hand on his shoulder. Zuko stiffened and turned to him.

His uncle's eyes were shining as he looked at the young man in front of him. Zuko stood straighter and met the older man's gaze. He suddenly felt like a little boy again, his uncle bidding him farewell when he departed for Ba Sing Se.

Only this time it was different. The war was over, and Zuko wasn't the helpless little boy he had been.

"I'm proud of you, nephew."

Zuko felt his heart swell, and he gripped the side of the basin to steady himself.

Iroh smiled kindly and released the boy. "Look how far you have come! You're definitely not the brooding young man I once knew... You even smile more!"

Zuko rolled his eyes and plunged his hands back into the basin. "It's all thanks to you, Uncle. I wouldn't be the man I am today without you."

Iroh chuckled, "That may be true, but it is you who will bring honor back to our nation, Zuko. Just as you restored your own honor and chose your own path. Here you are, a proud son of Agni. You will be a just Fire Lord, Zuko."

Zuko's hands froze in the water and he looked up at his uncle again, a smile on his face. His uncle looked pleased and patted his back again.

"Now nephew..." Iroh began as he shuffled out the door towards the front of the shop and came back with the stool that sat behind the counter. "I have only heard rumors, but I would like to hear it from you."

Zuko pulled the dish rag from the hook on the wall. "Hear what, Uncle?"

"Tell me about your sister... Tell me what happened."

There was a flash of blue in Zuko's mind, and he almost dropped the dish in his hand.

Noticing his nephew's hesitation, Iroh pressed on. "Now I have asked around from your friends, and all they have heard from you or Miss Katara is that you have sustained an injury?"

Zuko nodded and swallowed back a lump in his throat. His hand absentmindedly traveled to the spot on his chest concealed by his tunic.

"Zuko..." His Uncle's voice was gentle, but prodding. "I would like to know what happened."

Pausing for a moment before placing the dish back into the soapy water, Zuko leaned back onto the basin and rung the dish towel nervously between his hands.

"It was an Agni Kai, Uncle..."

In a low voice, Zuko told his Uncle what he could remember about his showdown with his sister. His Uncle's face remained passive even as he described his sister's hysteria. Her choppy bangs and swaying walk. Even when he voiced his surprise at their equally matched bending, his uncle said nothing. It wasn't until Zuko told his Uncle of his challenge to his sister to produce lightning that the older man's eyes widened in surprise.

"That was not wise, nephew," he said in a grave voice, before chuckling, "although I do commend your bravery."

The younger man smiled. "I knew I could take her."

Iroh raised an eyebrow. "Then what happened?"

Zuko scowled. "Azula. She took my challenge... But she was afraid."

His uncle gave him an expectant look.

Zuko's frown deepened. His voice was low as he responded, the rasping quality of it more prominent than usual.

"She aimed for Katara."

Iroh closed his eyes slowly, allowing the realization to hit before he answered. "I see."

Zuko shook his head and cast his eyes down. "I did what I could, Uncle. I didn't even think. All I could do was throw myself in its path. All I could think of was to save her."

Iroh gave his nephew a curious look.

"I don't even know what happened next, Uncle. I heard screaming and felt flames. Then... I blacked out..." He remembered the burning fire in his chest and the flashes of blue in his memories. Then that strange dream he had assumed was his death. Zuko looked up at his uncle again. "I haven't told anyone, but I had... I had some sort of vision."

The older man said nothing, but he nodded for him to continue. Zuko hesitated. He could vividly remember his feeling of submersion and the bright blue lights from the eyes of Agni. He wasn't sure how to describe it.

"When... When I was blacked out. I felt like I was... I was submerged in water. Like I was drowning in the deepest part of the ocean." He searched his Uncle's face for some sort of reaction and found none. He continued, "And then... When I felt like I was going to drown. I saw this... this murky sort of light above me, and I swam towards it. And gradually that light turned into two pinpoints, and the water began to glow a bright blue."

Zuko recalled the familiar blue hue of the water. "Then my eyes opened and Katara was above me, her hands healing my chest."

Iroh didn't say anything but he raised his eyebrows as if he knew that his nephew was leaving something out. Zuko sighed.

"The spots of light, Uncle... They were the Eyes of Agni."

Zuko looked at his Uncle expectantly, waiting for some sort of reaction from him. Iroh stared at the boy curiously and stroked his beard. "Are you sure they were the Eyes?"

Zuko nodded.

Iroh's eyes swept over his nephew face again. "I see..."

The older man stood and brushed off his apron. "You have been through a lot, nephew, and the spirits work in mysterious ways. It does not help to dwell on their signs too much. All we can do is keep a clear mind and open eyes while we wait for the right moment." The older man patted Zuko's shoulder again as he stood. Zuko smiled and nodded, but his uncle stopped in the doorway. He gave his nephew a knowing look that for some reason caused heat to rush to the young man's cheeks. "I have faith that you will make the right choice... Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko was left alone with the dirty dishes.

* * *

 

After staying in Ba Sing Se for a week, Zuko decided it was best for him to return home. The people - his people - they needed him to lead them. After more than a century of war, most of the people of the Fire Nation had forgotten the way of peace and needed his help to restore it.

Thus, after a groggy and way-too-early breakfast, the group all stood around on the dock to bid farewell to their friend. His Uncle had wished his nephew a good voyage that morning from the tea house so it was just Zuko standing uncomfortably in the midst of the teens, rubbing his neck. His crewman shouted at one another from the deck of the fire nation cruiser and other servants carried Mai's trunks up the gangplank. The girl herself had given Zuko's friends a shallow bow, typical of fire nation nobility, and told Zuko she would be waiting for him on the ship.

"Well, Zuko," Sokka began, "You may have been a real jerk in the beginning-"

Katara snorted, "That's an understatement." Zuko rolled his eyes at her, and she responded with a snarky grin from behind her brother.

Sokka frowned at his sister. "Katara! You'll get your turn!"

"As I was saying..." The water tribe boy continued, "After everything we've been through together, I'm gonna miss you." He clasped Zuko on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion. "Seriously. I'll never find a sparring partner as good as you and your dao swords." Sokka sniffled dramatically, "You've been a real bro."

Zuko patted the boy awkwardly and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. After a long moment of Sokka giving him a hard stare that Zuko assumed was supposed to be a sign of brotherhood or manliness, Suki pulled her boyfriend's arm away.

"It's not the end of the world, Sokka," Suki said patiently, "You'll be visiting the Fire Nation so much in the coming years." The girl gave Zuko a smile. "We'll see you soon, Zuko!" she said as she dragged Sokka away while the rest of their friends chuckled.

"Seriously though, Sparky," Toph added. "What am I going to do without you and your angst!" Aang nodded enthusiastically and then covered his left eye.

In what Zuko assumed was a horrible rendition of his own raspy voice Aang growled, "I will NOT play the tsungi horn, Uncle!"

Everyone snickered and Zuko frowned until Toph punched him in the arm. "Let me know if any of those finicky nobles are giving you a hard time. Eh, Sparky?" The young girl grinned and cracked her knuckles. "I wouldn't mind knocking some sense into them."

Zuko shook his head and chuckled. "I'll think about it, Toph. Thanks." The blind girl gave him an approving nod.

Aang walked up to Zuko; the older boy gave him a small smile and held out his hand to shake. Aang looked at it for a moment, chuckled, and then pulled a surprised Zuko into a hug. After a long moment, Aang said, "Take care, Sifu Hotman. You're a good friend."

Zuko patted Aang's back and for once didn't comment on the nickname. "Thanks, Aang. You too."

The Avatar seemed very pleased with himself as he side-stepped next to Toph to make way for Katara.

The waterbender walked right up to Zuko and pulled him into another hug, yanking him down so that her face was pressed into the crook of his neck. After a moment, she came away slightly, holding him at arm's length from her.

"Now, Zuko," She began in the tone of voice that Zuko knew she usually reserved for scolding Sokka, "You're going to have a lot of responsibilities, but I want you to make sure you take care of yourself. Sleep. Eat properly. Don't push yourself too hard training because I know that that's what you plan to do."

"Spirits, Katara!" Sokka groaned, "Why don't you just go with him if you're so concerned!"

Katara huffed, "Shut up, Sokka!"

Sokka was only joking because everyone knew why she couldn't. Aang, Katara, and Toph were expected to make visits to the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom to help maintain the peace. Afterwards, they would stop by Kyoshi Island to meet with Sokka and Suki, and Katara would head home to the ice of the South with her brother as Aang and Toph returned to the Earth Kingdom. Katara hadn't been home for a year, and Zuko knew she would want to see her grandmother as well as help with the restorations that the North had started. He was happy for her.

Katara turned back to Zuko and her expression softened. "I know you'll be okay..." She said quietly. Zuko watched her carefully as her right hand left his forearm to rest a gentle finger on a certain spot in the center of his chest. "Just let me know if you have any problems, okay? I expect lots of letters."

"Of course, Katara," Zuko said in a low voice so that only she could hear. "I'll see you soon."

Katara nodded and pulled him into another hug. This time, however, The rest of the group all followed suit and folded themselves around Zuko. They stood like that for a long moment until one of Zuko's crewman leaned over the side of the deck.

"We're ready to cast off on your order, my Lord!" He shouted.

Zuko looked up and his friends all let him go, calling out a series of goodbyes and take cares and a "send me some fire flakes when you get the chance you jerkbender" as he boarded the ship.

He stayed on the deck, hand raised in farewell, until they were merely just spots in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: let us all hope that I update again haha (I'm being honest. My work ethic sucks.)


	3. Part II.

_Dear Zuko,_

_I’ve decided to write to you first because we all know that it would take you ages to write back unless someone pushes you. You better answer quickly._

  _It’s been about four days since you left for the Fire Nation. No one has pointed it out, but we all can’t help but notice that you’re gone. First of all, the tea that Iroh has been making every morning has been much less… bracing than the tea that you usually make. Not that your tea is bad or anything, but it definitely has an…. acquired taste._

_Toph misses you. She’s been much rowdier without you to boss around. She keeps insisting that Sokka let her ride on his back since you’re gone, but Sokka always ends up complaining about how it hurts his back. You would think that he would learn to shut his mouth, but I guess the dozens of times Toph has knocked him to the ground just aren’t enough to get through his thick skull. My brother is so clueless sometimes, but at least he has Suki._

  _How is the Fire Nation? How are you? We all know you’ve got your work cut out for you, but if anyone can do it you can._

  _Aang sends his greetings. Write us back soon!_

 

_-Katara_

 

* * *

 

_Dear Katara,_

  _I would comment on your lack of faith in me, but I’m honestly not surprised._

  _Hey. My tea is a lot better than it used to be. Besides, only Uncle knows how to brew the best cup. That man and his hot leaf juice._

  _Tell Aang I say hello. Tell Toph that I miss her too. I’m sending a bag of fire flakes with this letter, hopefully that will lift Sokka’s mood._

  _The Fire Nation is as usual. The food is as spicy as ever, and the air is hot and humid. Not that I go out much, I’ve been up to my ears in paper work ever since I arrived._

  _Hope you’re doing well._

  _-Zuko_

 

* * *

 

_Dear Zuko,_

  _Sokka says thanks for the fire flakes. He insists on stashing the bag in crazy locations so he doesn’t have to share, but Toph (being Toph) always finds them. It drives him crazy, but she’s not asking for piggybacks anymore._

  _King Kuei has come back from his travels. Apparently there aren’t too many just bears in the world so it was simple to find him. He’s changed a lot, seems like the world has opened his eyes. He even made a personal trip to the Jasmine Dragon. (Personal meaning accompanied by armored guards, palanquin carriers, a dozen servants, and Bosco, of course.) It’s safe to say that your uncle isn’t known as “Mushi” anymore. Luckily, the King’s friendship with him seems to have prevented any animosity from being the Dragon of the West. There’s also the fact that he helped take back the city but you know how it is._

  _It’ll only be a matter of time before his customers make the connection between Mushi’s nephew Lee and General Iroh’s nephew Fire Lord Zuko._

  _You better be sleeping and eating regularly like I told you, Zuko. Don’t lie to me. I may not have Toph’s sight, but I know when you’re lying._

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

 

_Dear Katara,_

  _Thanks for letting me know about King Kuei, I’ll be sure to send him a message with a formal introduction. It’ll help with all of the negotiations and reparations for later._

  _I hope Uncle isn’t too busy now. I’ll bet that there are loads of new customers coming in, and I’d hate to think that I’ve left him shorthanded._

  _I’m not lying, don’t worry too much. It is kind of hard to sleep with it being so humid, and it’s worse during the day when I have to wear formal robes and armor. Although, meals are some of the few times that I have an excuse to get away from work. (For now, I don’t plan to take Toph up on her offer I have to admit that sometimes… I’m tempted.)_

  _With the amount of money that’s been going into the war and little else, everything is a mess.  Mai has been trying to get me to spend more time with her to de-stress, but I just can’t afford to. I’m hoping to reestablish trade with the other nations. The Fire Nation has a lot of industrial technology that I’m sure the world would benefit from. Plus, the war has deprived a lot of people from the best of Fire Nation food, and we can’t have that._

  _How’s Aang been? I want him to take it easy, but I know that his firebending can still use a little work._

  _How have you been?_

  _-Zuko_

* * *

 

_Dear Zuko,_

  _Well you’re definitely not lying, but you’re not telling the whole truth either. I’m guessing you’re probably having all of your meals in your office too, and you just don’t want to tell me so I don’t scold you. Zuko. Make sure you get up and stretch so your back doesn’t curve in on itself before you turn forty. As for the sleep, I’m sending some chamomile tea from Iroh. It should help. There’s not much I can do about the heat from this end (I guess I could send you ice, but what good would that do). Go see what everyone else is doing to beat the heat._

  _Don’t worry about your uncle. We all help him out as much as he can. He’s also hired this really sweet girl named Jin to help him out in his tea shop. She says she knows you? There’s a man named Sheng who works for him, but only part time. Apparently he’s studying to be a masseur._

  _I think the trade system would be a great idea! I know the Water Tribes would benefit from some new material. It’s getting hard to find good wood for boats in the poles. Plus I’m sure they’d love to try some Fire Nation fruit. Mangos were one of my favorite things when we were there._

  _Aang’s good. His training has been pretty regular, always asking me or Toph to spar with him. He could really benefit from more firebending practice, but that will have to wait until after we visit the colonies. He’s itching to get on the road, I can tell. He can never sit still for too long so it’s good we’re leaving in a few days. Sokka and Suki already left yesterday._

  _I’m okay. It’s nice knowing that I have a bed waiting for me every night and hot tea in the morning. The Earth Kingdom is lovely, although the stars aren’t as bright as in the South._

  _-Katara_

* * *

 

_Dear Katara,_

  _Thanks for the tea. I had my first good rest in weeks. As for the heat, I asked Mai what she does. She just frowned at me and said she has servants fan her. I’ll figure something else out._

  _I told you about Jin so I know you’re just teasing. I’m glad that she’s there helping Uncle though, he’s in good hands._

  _That’s Aang. Tell him to practice his forms, especially the Phoenix Flight. He always messes up the last transition and it leaves his final stance unbalanced for the finish. Tell him to work on his breathing too. Actually, I’ll just send him a separate letter with everything. We can’t have our Avatar slacking off._

  _A bed must feel much better than the bedroll you’re used to. I remember seeing the stars when I sailed through the South Pole. They were surprisingly bright. The best place to see them in the Fire Nation is still Ember Island._

  _-Zuko_

* * *

  _Dear Zuko,_

  _You really didn’t have to send me the dried mangos with your last letter. I do appreciate them though, it’s nice to have something sweet to eat while we’re flying around, but you probably already knew that._

  _A lot of these colonies have been Fire Nation for years and the people have integrated with each other. I know that you’ve been slowly pulling out troops, but most of these people have been living on this land for decades. The land isn't completely Earth Kingdom, but it's not Fire Nation either. I’ll let you know the situation in other towns too._

  _I caught Aang shaving today. You would think he would be good at it considering he shaves his entire head, but that didn't stop him from nicking himself. I bet he would have loved for Sokka to be here to help him. You too, I'm guessing. Are you keeping up the Fire Lord tradition and growing a beard yet?_

  _Tell me more about you. I haven't seen you in a month and a half. What have you been up to besides work?_

  _-Katara_

* * *

  _Katara,_

  _That's the biggest problem. The Earth King is saying his people_ _demand the land that my people stole from them, but from what you and Aang are saying we can't just take all of the people back to the Fire Nation. The Fire Nation isn't their homeland anymore._

  _My advisors are insisting that I grow a beard. My hair too, since it still barely fits in a top knot. I told them they are supposed to consult me about governing practices, not my appearances. They say a beard will make me more authoritative._

  _I haven't been up to much besides work. I also have yet to find a decent sparring partner._

  _I'm happy you liked the mangos._

 - _Zuko_

* * *

  _Dear Zuko,_

  _Maybe you don’t have to return the land or even give it back? Maybe they can share it? I don’t really know how that would work, but it’s an idea._

  _It's nice to hear that at least one of you is staying sane. Suki says that Sokka is insisting on growing a beard now too. It's like all of you need to prove something. Although, I think you would look the best with a beard. Very regal._

  _Well, then…. since you refuse to tell me about yourself, how is Mai? I hope you are at least trying to spend some time with your girlfriend. She deserves that much._

  _Of course you can’t find a partner like Aang, Toph, or me, but I’m sure there are some decent firebenders to spar with. Go look!_

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

  _Katara,_

  _Although we can’t exactly_ share _the land… that’s something to think about…_

  _Thanks. I don’t think I want a beard though. I already look too much like my father._  

_Mai is doing fine. She moved into the palace, but I still don’t see her very often. I’m trying, but my country demands its Firelord. She’s been very patient with me, although she doesn’t like being involved in the politics. Apparently I think about work too much, but if I don’t think about it nothing will get better._

  _I feel like I can learn more bending against other elements. That’s what Uncle always said. Did you know his lightning redirection came from studying waterbending?_

  _-Zuko_

 

* * *

 

_Zuko,_

  _I didn’t know that! Is that why you always insisted on watching whenever I practiced with Aang? You could have told me that you wanted to see my moves. I bet there’s a lot I could learn from you too._

  _Relationships are hard; it’s not your fault. I’m sure that’s just Mai’s way of trying. She probably thinks distracting you from your work will help you relax, and honestly, she might be right._

  _Aang has the opposite problem. He’s great, but sometimes it seems like he would rather spend time with me than work with the people. I’m glad Toph is here to whip him into shape._

  _You’ll never be like your father, Zuko. You’re a better man._

 - _Katara_

 

* * *

 

_Zuko,_

  _Well this is the longest you’ve gone without a letter… It’s been almost 4 weeks. Is everything alright?_

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

 

 

_Zuko,_

  _Zuko. What is going on?_

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

 

_Katara,_

  _I’m sorry. I’m fine. There’s been some rioting, but it’s all quiet now._

  _-Zuko_

 

* * *

 

_Zuko,_

  _Do you need us?_

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

 

_Katara,_

  _No… I can handle it. Stay in the colonies. It’s almost winter, and I’m sure you’ll be on your way to the South Pole soon._

  _I’m Firelord. It’s my duty._

  _-Zuko_

 

* * *

 

_Zuko,_

  _Okay. I trust you. We’re all just very worried. We’re in a port town now, and we’ve finally been getting some news from the Fire Nation. It’s the unemployment and the tax isn’t it?_

  _We’ll be leaving for Kyoshi in about a week and a half... and then home._

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

  _Katara,_

  _Yes. A lot of the soldiers returning home don’t have families to return too, and a lot of factories are closing because we don’t need the tons and tons of military equipment anymore. The people are unhappy about the amount of money that’s leaving the country in reparations as well._

  _I think the worst of the riots are over._

  _-Zuko_

 

* * *

 

_Zuko,_

  _By the time you get this, we will probably already be in the air so send your next letter to Kyoshi Island._

  _I think it’s really important that you start thinking about trade agreements with the other nations soon. I feel like your people will be more comfortable knowing that the country has a new form of income besides world domination._

  _Write back soon. I’m worried._

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

 

_My Dear Katara,_

  _This is Iroh. I hope you are doing well._

  _It has come to my attention that my nephew has not been disclosing as much about his situation as he should be… to both you and me. According to my sources in the Fire Nation, it is much worse than he makes it seem. I am doing my best to reach him, but I am afraid that the earliest I will be able to depart for the Fire Nation would be sometime in the next month._

  _I am sorry for such a request, but I deeply fear for Zuko’s safety… there have been whispers of anti-royalists among the nobles. I know that you and your friends have many duties, but it would be a blessing to this old man’s heart if one of you would be able to stay with my nephew until I arrive. He is so driven in healing his nation that he has put little thought into his own health._

  _He needs a friend._

  _Thank you, my dear, and may the Spirits bless you._

  _-Iroh_

 

* * *

 

Katara read over Iroh’s letter for the third time before thrusting it roughly into Aang’s hands.

 “Look! What’s with Zuko?! I knew something was up from the tone of his letters, but NO! He said everything was fine! And I- I BELIEVED HIM!”

 Katara stormed angrily around the main room of the house the Kyoshi warriors offered them. Suki, Aang, Toph, and her brother sat around in various places waiting for the letter to be passed to them. They were used to the girl fussing.

 “Katara,” she heard Suki say from somewhere behind her. “It’s Zuko. He’s tough. I’m sure he can handle a few nobles badmouthing him and if he can’t I’m sure Mai will take care of them.”

 

Toph nodded in agreement, “I don’t want to say that Gramps is overreacting, but he hasn’t seen Sparky in months... he’s probably just worried.”

 

Katara whipped around to face the girls. “But! You heard about the rioting! And we left him all alone! I mean yes, he has Mai, but from what he’s saying in his letters it doesn’t sound like she wants to get all too involved in his job and it honestly sounds like he’s overworking himself!”

 

Aang came to Katara’s side and placed a hand gingerly on her shoulder. He was an about an inch taller than her now.

 

“I think Toph’s right, Katara,” he said slowly. She frowned at him, and he took her hand in his. Although affectionate gestures were common between her and Aang, she didn’t relax.

 

“I don’t want to ignore what Iroh is asking of us,” he continued,  “but we do have a lot that we need to take care of. I mean Toph and I still have the entire Eastern coast of the Earth Kingdom to visit, Suki just got home, and you and Sokka haven’t been to the South Pole for a year and a half! It’s not like we can just abandon our duties. Restoring the Fire Nation is Zuko’s job.”

 

Katara huffed and spun around, missing the hurt frown that crumpled on Aang’s face. “Restoring a nation is a big job for one guy! Especially a war-torn and broken country like the fire nation! And you don’t even want to help him!”

 

Aang reached for her shoulder again, but the girl just took a step further away, still fuming. He sighed and took a seat on the ground beside Toph.

 

“Aang’s right, Katara.” Sokka said quietly. The watertribe girl turned towards her brother, a hurt expression on her face. Honestly. It seemed like she was the only one that cared about Zuko at this point.

 

“You too, Sokka! I would think that after you and Zuko became so buddy-buddy you would be more than willing to help him out-” Sokka cut his sister off abruptly.

 

“As usual, little sister, you didn’t let me finish,” Sokka sighed and rolled his eyes. “As I _was_ saying until you rudely interrupted me…” Katara scoffed and planted her hands on her hips.

 

“I think Aang is right, Katara… we all have a lot of duties on our plate… However, I do think that Zuko is probably way over his head in trying to fix his country by himself. I mean, we all know that that guy’s as stubborn as a mooselion so he’d never admit if he needed help. Plus no one knows him as well as Iroh, so if the old man is asking for help it must be serious.”

 

Katara smiled hugely at her brother and plopped onto the mat next to him. “So you think I’m right!”

 

Sokka shrugged. “I mean… not that I’d admit it…”

 

Katara clapped her hands. “So that settles it! We’re all going to the Fire Nation starting tomorrow.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Katara,” Sokka said, “As much as I want to pay Zuko a visit, we can’t all go.”

 

Aang nodded, “Yeah. I think just one of us should be good enough…” he turned to the girl sitting next to him. “How about you, Toph? You did offer to bust some noble heads if they bothered Zuko?”

 

Sokka answered before Toph could, “That wouldn’t work, Aang. Toph’s family is extremely well respected in the Earth Kingdom. Her being with you will really help you win favor over some of the families still against the peace treaty.”

 

“Then how about you, Sokka?” Aang asked again. Sokka shook his head.

 

“No… Dad sent me a letter a few days ago. They’re establishing a new canal system back home, and they really need my help with the designs. He also said I’m of age when I need to start participating in the politics of our tribe.”

 

Aang sighed, “Suki?”

 

The Kyoshi Warrior shook her head as well. “You said it yourself, Aang. I just got home. A lot of the girls in the village need to begin their training now that we’re back, and as their leader I can’t just abandon them.”

 

“Well then,” Aang said, “It’s not like Katara and I can go! I’m still needed in the Earth Kingdom, and Katara hasn’t been home in so long!”

 

There was a long pause, but then Katara spoke, her voice much calmer than before.

 

“I’ll go alone then.”

 

Aang whipped around to stare at his girlfriend. “But you haven’t been home in so long!”

 

Katara smiled and shook her head at her boyfriend. “Yes, Aang… But, Sokka can handle without me, he has Dad and Gran Gran. Plus all of the Northern Water Tribe members and Master Pakku are still there to help with the physical rebuilding. I’m sure they can get along without me for at least a month or two more.”

 

“Yeah…” Aang pouted, his voice dropping a little lower, “but I wanted to stay with you. We were supposed to have a week more together while we flew over...”

 

Katara’s eyes finally softened and she shuffled over to the boy across the room. Taking his hand into hers, she smiled at him. “It’s only a little bit earlier, Aang. Besides, this way I’ll probably still be in the Fire Nation for my birthday. It will be so much easier to visit so we can see each other sooner!”

 

Aang met Katara’s eyes, she bit her lip and said softly, “Zuko needs me.”

 

The airbender frowned at her for a moment. Katara squeezed his hand. He needed to understand that their friend needed someone right now. She needed him to understand.

 

Aang sighed in resignation.

 

Katara smiled even wider and pulled him into a hug.

 

“Okay,” Aang murmured into her hair, “but be careful.”

 

Katara only smiled wider.

* * *

 

_Dear Iroh,_

  _I am leaving tomorrow._

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

 

_Zuko,_

  _You. Are. In. So. Much. Trouble._

  _-Katara_

 

* * *

 


	4. Part III.

He should have expected it, he supposed, it was was one of those days after all. From the moment he woke up, his day had been littered with little surprises - both good and bad.

First, waking at an ungodly hour to find himself still dressed in his robes, at his desk, with a piece of parchment stuck to his face and spilled ink soaking into his sleeve. _Bad surprise._

Realizing that at that hour, most of the servants in the East Wing of the palace were still asleep, and he had the training grounds all to himself for the first time in months. _Good surprise._

Remembering near the end of his training that he promised Mai he would have breakfast with her, and he only had until the next candle spark to be on time to said breakfast. _Bad surprise._

Mai being in a pleasant mood. _Good surprise._

His day went on as such, and by the time it hit the buzzing hours before dinner when all of the servants hustled about the palace to prepare meals, Zuko knew something was coming.

He had to admit though, Katara rushing into his throne room a few moments after his counsel had left was definitely the biggest surprise of the day. After months away from his friends, the girl clad in blue was a sight for his sore and tired eyes. Zuko smiled and lowered the flames around him so he could greet his friend and ask her why in Agni's name she was in the Fire Nation.

Taking one look at Katara's face and recognizing the murderous intent directed specifically at him. _Bad surprise._

"ZUKO!" Katara growled at him. The Fire Lord did the most dignified thing he could in the situation. He retreated back to his throne and pulled the wall of flames higher between him and his angry friend.

"Katara! Uhm… I had no idea you were coming!"

Zuko could sharply feel Katara's glare through the fire.

Oh, Agni, what on earth did he do…

"Of course you didn't, _Zuko,_ " she hissed his name in a way he hadn't heard since they were on opposite sides of the war, "Why would I tell _you_ that I'm traveling halfway around the world to visit when you don't even bother to tell _me_ that there have been _attempts. On. Your. Life."_

Katara threw each word at him like an ice dagger. She was definitely wasting no time getting to the point, but Zuko finally gained a bit of ground as her words sunk in.

She knew about the assassination attempt last month. Granted, it wasn't a particularly sizeable threat. Just a man charging straight at him with a knife during his speech at the opening of a new military hospital. Before anyone could blink, the yelling man had tripped, two kunai pinning his pant leg to the ground. The only sign telling who had reacted was the third knife still poised between Mai's fingertips.

Still the fact that word got around that quickly surprised him.

After a moment under her steely glare, he finally gave in. Sighing, he responded in a tired voice, "Who told you?"

Katara hastily pulled a crumpled piece of parchment out of the waistband of her dress, like she had been prepared for him to ask. "Iroh! Now, Zuko, you come down here right this second!"

The young Fire Lord hesitated. On one hand, he was relatively safer on this side of the fire where Katara wouldn't start anything for fear of them destroying the throne room. On the other hand, the longer he waited, the angrier she would get and she wouldn't have the same sort of reserve later.

With another sigh, Zuko slowly lowered the fire and gathered his robes about him to pick his way down the steps to meet his friend.

Katara's angry blue eyes met his for a second before they quickly swept over the rest of his face and body. He knew that look, it was the look of a medic. She was examining him and he subconsciously felt his back straighten.

Zuko watched as her angry eyes softened and filled with concern. This annoyed him as he tried to imagine what he looked like to her. He didn't think he looked all that bad. Sure, he'd lost a little bit of weight, but it wasn't all too noticeable with his armor on. And yes, maybe the dark circles under his eyes were a lot more pronounced, but it wasn't like he was purposefully avoiding sleep. He just had a lot of work. He felt his hand ghost towards a specific spot on his chest. There was a dull ache, and his fingers twitched.

Katara noticed.

"Zuko…" she said, her voice magnitudes softer than her sharp tone from moments before, "why didn't you just… why didn't you just _tell_ me."

He frowned at her. "There was nothing to tell. I handled it."

Now it was Katara's turn to frown. Before she could say anything, however, Zuko held out his hand and asked for Iroh's letter. She gave it to him and his eyes swept over it quickly before he scoffed.

"Katara. This doesn't even say anything about assassination attempts!"

The girl crossed her arms and huffed defensively. "Yeah… but you didn't deny them a second ago! This means Iroh was definitely right to be concerned!"

Zuko groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. This girl would be the death of him.

_Still_... He thought, glancing at her. She picked her fingernails in what he guessed was supposed to be a nonchalant gesture as she snuck glances at him, probably still examining his condition. Her dress was crumpled in a way he recognized from their travels together and her long, brown hair - which hung down her back in a single plait - was windswept. He guessed Aang and Toph had flown her on Appa to the nearest island, probably Crescent Island, where she hitched a ride with a merchant ship or other to the capital. Judging from her looks and the pack still strapped to her back, she had probably marched directly from the port to the castle.

Looking at her, Zuko couldn't stay irritated for long. She _had_ traveled halfway around the world just because she was worried about him, and he had to admit that he was beyond happy to see her.

He sighed again, before sweeping past her.

"Well, come on… " He called over his shoulder, "I'll show you to your room to get situated… Dinner will be very soon."

Katara looked up in surprise. Zuko slowed a bit, lifting his shoulder in a sort of _follow me_ gesture until she finally grinned at him. He expected to continue walking towards the door, but she easily caught up to him and reached out a hand to tug on his sleeve.

Zuko stopped and turned to ask her what she needed when she pulled him into a hug. It was uncomfortable for a moment as the sharp points in his armor dug into his shoulder and sides, but soon Katara found a nook and pressed into him easily.

"It's good to see you, Zuko," she mumbled into his chest.

He found himself smiling. "You too, Katara."

* * *

Mai's good mood had lasted into the evening, Zuko was surprised to find. She was waiting for him in the small dining room as usual, sitting at her preferred spot to his left. When he entered, she had a scroll on the table, probably some old piece of Fire Nation literature. During his first return to the Fire Nation, Zuko had been surprised to find the girl had an odd affinity towards the classics. It wasn't surprising to find a scroll or two tucked in her sleeves along with her kunai.

When he slid the door open, she looked up briefly and gave him her version of a warm smile: a little quirk of the corner of her lip.

"I was beginning to think all of the paperwork had swallowed you up," she said dryly as she rolled up the scroll in front of her. Zuko knelt down onto his seat next to her and shrugged in response.

"No... I was actually greeted by quite the surprise in the throne room..." He said casually, politely motioning for the servant in the corner to begin dinner.

"Oh really now..." Mai responded, "another angry cabbage merchant? Or... No..." She met his eyes, and Zuko could see she was playing with him.

"Another power hungry noble who _insists_ that you meet his daughter."

Zuko rolled his eyes. It wasn't a secret that Zuko was going to be of marrying age in the next year, and given his uncommon circumstance (banished prince, refugee, reinstated prince, wanted traitor, now "bachelor" Fire Lord), he didn't have to suffer through the common practice of his parents arranging a political marriage before he turned fifteen.

Although, he mused, looking at his girlfriend, it wouldn't have been a surprise if they had picked Mai. She was every bit the perfect image of Fire Nation nobility.

"Well actually," Zuko began when the servant came back and arranged the dining sets before them - _three dining sets_ , "I had a surprise visitor."

Mai's eyes focused on the third set of chopsticks. "I see…" she said in a measured voice, "and to whom do we owe the pleasure?"

Zuko opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by pattering footsteps and a loud squeak as the door slid open.

"Hi! Sorry, I'm late!" Katara said as she rushed into the room and took the open seat at Zuko's right, "You changed the guards at the entrance to the East Wing, and they didn't recognize me! It's a good thing Yori just so happened to be walking by on his rounds. You didn't tell me he was promoted onto your personal guard. That's good; he deserved it."

Katara finally settled into her seat and smiled brightly at Zuko before she took notice of the girl sitting across from her. Her blue eyes widened for a moment before her face softened into a small smile.

"Hello, Mai," she said politely with a slight dip of her head, "I'm sorry. I hope I'm not imposing on your dinner."

Mai shook her head. "Not at all, Katara. It's good to see you."

Katara nodded, "It's good to see you too."

The servants then came in carrying plates of komodo chicken, placing the first before Zuko as custom. Zuko felt Mai's eyes slide towards him - probably in question - but he didn't meet them. Instead, he watched Katara. The Water Tribe girl smiled warmly at the servants, articulating her thanks for each item placed before her.

Now that she was all cleaned up, he noticed she looked slightly different. She had put on a bit of weight in their months apart, her body filling out and her face taking on a much healthier glow. Zuko guessed having a steady diet for the first time in a year was doing wonders. Growing kids needed more than the berries and nuts they could scrounge up in a small radius around camp and the thin broths Katara would make with wild vegetables and the little fish they caught in forest streams. The steady meals were definitely helping to further fill in the muscles that were visible under her usual blue dress. Her hair was freshly combed and shiny as it fell in waves down her back. She looked happier, Zuko decided.

She glanced up from her plate and met his eyes. Again, they swept over his face and gradually her's laced with concern. Zuko scowled and looked away, focusing instead on the bowl of rice before him.

"So, Katara," Mai intoned in her usual voice, "Zuko didn't mention you were coming."

The young man's attention flicked back to his girlfriend, his single eyebrow raised in questioning. Why did her voice sound so accusing? He stared at her, but it was apparently her turn to ignore him.

Katara brought her cup of tea away from her lips. "Well that was my fault actually… I didn't tell him I was coming. It was a sort of spur of the moment decision."

Mai nodded. She gave Zuko a sidelong glance before continuing. "Brought on by what exactly?"

Zuko mentally facepalmed.

Katara was unfazed, however; she simply shrugged and took another sip from her drink. "Just concern for my workaholic of a friend."

"Ah…" Mai said. Her sharp eyes examined Katara for a moment before her face curled into a slight smirk. "Well that's good… we all know he needs all the help he can get."

Katara let out a short laugh and shook her head at Zuko. "I couldn't agree more, Mai."

Zuko sighed in defeat and picked at his komodo chicken.

* * *

After the bit of teasing, dinner had fallen into an uncomfortable silence that neither girl seemed determined to break. Zuko found himself sighing with relief when he was back in the solitude of his office. Even the endless piles of paperwork before him seemed less tiring than another minute between the two girls.

Zuko slid the next pile of scrolls closer to him.

Honestly, he wasn't sure what exactly he had expected. The girl that Mai had gotten along with the best from the Avatar's rag tag group was Suki... and even that was a little unusual. Zuko had heard all about how Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai overtook the Kyoshi warriors, stole their uniforms, and put them in prison. But still, the headstrong warrior had taken the challenge of befriending Mai, something Zuko knew would not be an easy task. The few conversations he had heard between them centered around good natured small talk and weaponry, a combination that vaguely reminded Zuko of Sokka's earliest attempts at befriending the Fire Prince himself, back when Katara would snarl at him for merely breathing too loudly.

During their brief time in Ba Sing Se, Mai would either stay close to him or be off by herself reading or sticking needles and knives into the nearest tree. Sometimes he would see Suki join her and they would exchange tips on hand to hand. Oftentimes, these encounters would leave Mai in a noticeably - albeit only to Zuko- better mood.

One particular instance, however, he had seen Katara approaching his girlfriend when the latter was sitting in the teahouse reading. He didn't overhear anything as Uncle had whisked him away on an errand, but later that day Mai had given him an uncharacteristically deep kiss, and he never saw her and Katara speak to each other again.

On the subject of Katara, Zuko still had no idea what the girl was doing here in the Fire Nation. How Uncle had gotten wind of the anti-royalist sentiments was beyond him because they were still very few and unsuspecting. Although, he had to admit that he appreciated seeing a friendly face after being surrounded by judgmental nobles for three months. Plus, there was always the chance that Katara and Mai would warm up to each other, that way he wouldn't have to sit through anymore insufferable dinners with the two.

Eventually, Zuko realized that he had been staring at the same line of text for much too long. He shook his head to concentrate as he began at the top of the page. He had stacks of bills and policy amendments that he desperately needed to finish before his council meeting tomorrow. With a sigh, he unfurled the nearest scroll and began to read, adding his signature to the necessary spots before he reached for the next. Eventually, he found his rhythm and his mind was lost to political jargon. This was how Zuko had spent nearly every night as Fire Lord. Reading, signing, and writing.

After a while - he had forgotten how long it had been since his candle had sparked eleven - he had finally made a sizeable dent within the paperwork and was reaching for the final piece of the expense set.

_The price of rice has risen due to high demand among the remaining -_

There was a knock at the door. Zuko ignored it.

_Under the pretense that all Fire Nation citizens are deserving of similar -_

The knock sounded again, much more urgently this time. Zuko sighed and pushed the scroll away from him.

"Come in."

The door slid open and in came Katara. His bleary eyes barely had time to register that she was in a nightgown when he realized that she was speaking.

"Zuko," she said curtly, "Do you know what time it is?"

The Fire Lord blinked impassively. "No…?"

Katara stared at him for a long moment before giving him an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, Zuko. No wonder you look so thin. You're working yourself to death."

Zuko scoffed at her. "That isn't true!"

Katara gave him a pointed look and then pointed at the spark candle by his desk.

"Then answer my question… what time is it?"

The young man stared at the candle for a long moment before answering confidently, "Why, it's thirteen hours past midday."

Katara pursed her lip and gave him a hard stare before pointing back at the candle. "Look again Zuko."

The Fire Lord turned back to the candle just in time to see it spark. He counted each... until it reached fifteen.

He waved a hand dismissively at his friend. She didn't need to pester him like he was some child. "Oh, spirits, Katara. It doesn't matter. I still have work I need to do anyways. The time doesn't matter so long as I finish."

Her glare hardened. "No. Now that I'm here, you are going to be taking much better care of yourself."

Zuko closed his eyes and took a calming breath before responding, "Katara, it's not like I'm doing this on purpose! I just- I just don't have time for myself all right!"

Katara frowned, "That's nonsense, Zuko." She crossed her arms and strode forward to plop herself into the seat before his desk. "Let me see your schedule for tomorrow."

After a moment of staring at the girl before him, Zuko realized he wasn't going to get anywhere with her. Shaking his head, he reached into the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out the roll of parchment that one of his advisors had given him after dinner and begrudgingly handed it over to Katara. The girl unrolled it, her eyes sweeping over the variety of colors and times set before her. Her eyebrows knotted into what Zuko assumed was confusion.

"See," the young man said smugly, "it's not my fault! I just can't possibly make room for personal time. I have none to spare."

Katara's frown only deepened, and Zuko reached over to take the scroll back from her and remark that she was doing the best she could when Katara sighed deeply.

"Honestly, Zuko… Sokka - no... Toph could do a much better job than this."

Zuko froze, his arm half suspended as he was reaching for the scroll, " _What?_ "

Katara rolled her eyes and pushed aside a few documents on his desk so that she could lay the scroll flat on the desk between them. She pointed at a few colored sections in the time bar.

"Well, for starters, if you move these two back to back you can free up at least half an hour for when you would have had to change robes before and after lunch. And then why in Yue's name do you have this much time allotted for the visiting nobles. I can't imagine they have that much to say."

Zuko moved her hand away from the scroll defensively, "It's a precaution. Many times the meetings run over time and I don't want the others following to feel cheated."

This answer was apparently unsatisfactory for Katara as she shook her head, "Well that's a big waste of time. First of all, they should count themselves lucky to be graced with the Fire Lord's presence," Katara's finger darted to several points on the scroll. "If you enforce stricter time lines for at least… well _these_ meetings, you'll be much more productive. The nobles will get to the point and be less likely to stick around in an attempt to… well to put it bluntly kiss your ass."

Zuko felt his cheeks flush, but Katara didn't seem to notice as she continued.

"I mean… just with those two changes we've freed up at least an hour and half of time for you!"

"Yeah…" Zuko admitted, "but what am I going to do with a measly hour and a half?"

The waterbender smirked and came around the side of the desk to grab Zuko's arm. In a manner that was almost violent and reminded Zuko all too much of Toph, Katara hauled him up out of his seat and began ushering him towards the door.

"Well for starters, you can at least get more sleep!"


	5. Part IV.

Despite his morning meditation, when Zuko came in for breakfast the following morning he wasn't feeling any better than any normal morning. He planned to ask Katara about it only to find that she was absent from the dining room. It was only Mai in the room, empty dishes pushed to the side and a new scroll opened in front of her.

"Good morning, Mai," Zuko said as he took his seat, "Has Katara come in for breakfast yet?"

"I haven't seen her," Mai said without looking up from her reading. Zuko frowned and watched his girlfriend as she lazily unfurled the scroll in front of her.

Mai continued, "She's probably sleeping in anyways. You know how those Water Tribe people are with their bending under the moon." She gave a half-hearted gesture that Zuko guessed was a mimicry of Katara.

Mai could be right, Zuko decided, except Katara had stormed into his office in her nightdress and that was definitely not what she trained in.

"Maybe," he reasoned, not wanting to dismiss the idea completely, "except Katara doesn't usually sleep in. I mean, when we were traveling together she was usually up by the time I finished morning meditation."

"Well… you aren't traveling around anymore are you? Maybe her habits have changed."

"Maybe," he mumbled. A servant came in and placed a few dishes in front of Zuko; he thanked her. Zuko watched his girlfriend silently for a long moment. Mai 's gaze on her scroll remained steady. She only moved to roll it out further and - for a single instance - to hold her hand up to cover a yawn before promptly returning her attention back to her scroll. She still failed to meet his eyes.

"You know," Zuko began, weakly attempting to start a conversation, "Sokka told me this interesting story once." He lifted his chopsticks and began eating, "it was about the Moon spirit."

"Very intriguing," Mai intoned. He felt his brow furrow. Mai was definitely not in a good mood today.

He tried again, "Maybe I'll ask him about it once he replies to my last letter. He's been surprisingly helpful - well you've met him so I'm sure you have an understanding of how he is… " Zuko gave a nervous sort of chuckle that Mai did not react to. "Anyways… Hakoda, that's Sokka and Katara's dad, has gotten him involved with the politics of the Southern Water Tribe so we've been writing back and forth about the necessary reparations the Fire Nation is going to give them. It's all a matter of determining the extent of the dam-"

"Please, Zuko," Mai interrupted, finally looking up at him, "Not that what you're saying isn't _riveting_ , but don't you think it's a little too early to discuss politics?"

Zuko blanched, "I-I mean I guess it is…" Mai nodded and returned back to her scroll. The uncomfortable silence resettling in the room. Zuko struggled to hold back a sigh, was a pleasant meal too much to ask for? She was probably right though… no one wanted to hear about international affairs this early in the morning. Plus he would be pretty busy with that topic for the rest of his day - and probably the rest of his foreseeable future.

"What are you reading?" He asked, deciding it might be safer to ask about her, "More classic Fire Nation writings?" The scroll was close enough that Zuko could see a few of the lines. He caught something about love and division and... was that a cave?

Mai looked up at him again with the same slightly irritated expression, like she was annoyed with him for interrupting her story. "No, actually. It's Earth Kingdom. Something Ty Lee sent."

Zuko gave the scroll another glance. Pastel green rolling hills and pink flower paintings bordered the edges.

"It doesn't seem like something you would usually read," Zuko observed. Mai simply shrugged in response and turned her attention back to the rows of script. Exasperated, Zuko took a sip of his tea and pressed for a topic that never failed to get Mai talking.

"How's Ty Lee?" he asked casually.

Mai's hands paused on the scroll. "You know," Mai began, "She's Ty Lee. Every letter goes on and on about how beautiful Kyoshi is and how 'awesome' all of the girls are. She says they remind her of her sisters and the circus." Mai was trying to sound irritated, but as she brought her hand under her chin, Zuko could see her smother a smile.

Pleased that he was getting somewhere, Zuko prodded further as he continued to eat his rice, "Maybe you should go visit then!"

The rustling of paper stops and Zuko is suddenly aware that Mai is gazing at him with an odd expression. He recognizes a trace of confusion and... offense? "You're saying I should leave?"

Zuko clumsily dropped his chopsticks and stammered for a second as he tried to backtrack, his face flushing, "W-well, I'm not telling you that you _should_ leave... It's just - well - I can't imagine that I'm very good company! Yeah! What with work and all! I barely have time for eating and I'm having a hard time finding a time to - "

Mai held a hand up to stop his rambling. "Zuko, I've been living with you for months now. And I'm used to the political life anyways," Mai paused, her voice dropping into an almost accusatory tone, "Unless... There's a reason you want to get rid of me?"

Zuko's face flushed even more, "N-no! Of course not! It's just... Well I don't know... I was just thinking that you might be bored with no one around to talk to! I don't really have time for you." Mai's eyebrows rose and the boy grimaced at his choice of words, "Wait- no I just.. I just am having a hard time making time! It's not that I don't want to spend time with you!"

Mai averted her eyes and Zuko watched as she visibly straightened and smoothed out her skirt in front of her. He knew the motion; she was putting up her mask again. He mentally scrambled for something to fix what he had said. "Well," she said curtly, "I didn't realize I was wasting that much of your time." Mai gave Zuko a slight nod and rose abruptly, taking her scroll with her. As she slid open the door, Zuko racked his brain for something to bring her back.

"Wait!"

The girl paused in the door frame without turning around. "It's alright," she said in the same monotone voice, "it's all part of the job right? I'll see you at dinner." Mai glanced at him over his shoulder, "That is if you can make time for me, of course."

The door clicked shut.

Zuko slammed his hands onto the table.

* * *

Katara was used to waking up early.

Back before the comet, when they were living on Appa's back, she was always up early to start on breakfast, especially when staying at the Western Air Temple. Unfortunately, teenage boys ate a lot, and in the beginning she didn't get as much help as she would've liked. Suki was there, but oftentimes the warrior girl would be with Sokka and only La knows what time those two went to bed. There was also Zuko - being a firebender he was almost always up at sunrise - who would always offer to help her. She refused it in the beginning of course, but after their little field trip, she started to notice things being prepped before she rose - rice and water measured in the pot, the vegetables already chopped, freshly picked fruit by the cook fire. Zuko denied it when Katara confronted him, but the blush that crept onto his cheek told otherwise. The next morning, Katara had woken up early and waited by the fire. It was worth it to see a flustered Zuko as he came in bringing fresh mangos with him. From then on, it was normal for the two to have a cup of tea together in the morning after they finished cooking.

So yes, Katara had a lot of experience with early mornings.

However, in the Fire Nation Palace, there was no cook fire to be tended to and no food that needed to be gathered, thus, Katara made it her mission to find Zuko before breakfast. They needed to have a little chat about scheduling.

The hallways of the palace near her room were similar to those in the rest of the building. The walls were a deep red with tall, heavy banners hanging from the walls, proudly displaying the Fire Nation insignia. Tall windows let in a great deal of the light from the rising sun.

Zuko had explained on her last visit that the East Wing of the palace was exclusively for the royal family. It made sense as Katara never saw anyone in the hallway or facilities of the East Wing aside from guards and servants. The West Wing however was full of offices and meeting rooms and other more official things. The area surrounding the palace contained many gardens, entertainment, and villas for royals not in line for the crown as well as visiting nobles. Many of them stood empty now.

In the early morning light she breezed down the hall to the door of the Fire Lord's chambers where a single guard was stationed. Vaguely recognizing the tall, slightly slouched figure, she stood before the guard and glanced around cautiously before whispering.

"Yori, is that you?"

The guard peered down at Katara, and - after a moment - reached up to peel away the face mask of his helmet. She was met with a wide smile and soft grey eyes.

"Master Katara, it's nice to see you," he said.

The girl rolled her eyes at the formality, but returned his smile. "Honestly, what's with the 'Master' you didn't call me that last time. Besides it sounds silly, you're what..." Katara counted on her fingers, "...7 years older than me?"

The young guard's eyes scanned the area around him before answering with a grin. His voice took on a much more casual tone, one reminded Katara of a certain blue eyed swordsman. "Hey. I can't be slacking off now! I'm on the Fire Lord's personal guard!" He smirked at the girl, "Probably because of your recommendation."

Katara laughed, "Oh no! I just helped Zuko see your potential!"

"Fire Lord Zuko," Yori corrected which made Katara huff. All of the palace workers did this with her.

"Speaking of, _Fire Lord_ Zuko," Katara said, her last words dripping with enough sarcasm that Yori pouted in response. Katara motioned to the closed doors behind the man. "Is he still in bed? I want to speak with him."

Yori raised an eyebrow, "Trying to visit the Fire Lord in his private quarters? Another _healing session_ , Katara?"

His implication made Katara reply hastily, "Of course not!" She tried to ignore her cheeks flushing as she responded more calmly, "I just need to talk to him about his schedule for the day. Besides... I don't think it's smart to be discussing your boss's personal life like that."

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, holding his hands up in a placating manner, "well the Fire Lord decided to have an early breakfast with Lady Mai this morning, so he's not here."

"Spirits," Katara murmured. She pushed her hair out of her eyes before speaking again. "Well... if he comes back before I find him, let him know I was here."

Yori nodded, "Okay, Katara." She smiled in gratitude, but then noticed as he gave her a sideways glance. She frowned as he continued in a low voice.

"But I'm just saying that on the... off chance that you did want to visit the Fire Lord sometime tonight... Well I definitely wouldn't stop you..."

Katara frowned in irritation. "My water skins aren't empty you know," she grumbled. The young man laughed loudly, much to her annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Katara. You know I'm joking. And I just love the face you make when you're angry." He smiled at her fondly and reached down to pat her head. "You look just like Sachi did when she was fourteen."

"And you remind me all too much of Sokka," she grumbled. Yori just laughed again.

"Well that's fine! Your brother is a great guy. Tell him to visit because he owes me money for like 3 meals."

It was Katara's turn to laugh. She wasn't surprised that Sokka had swindled some free food out of Yori. She hoped her brother was doing well in the South and she gave herself a mental reminder to send him a letter later. "I will," she assured him, "But he's actually been pretty busy. Being Chief-in-training is actually quite a lot of work."

Yori's eyebrows raise, "Chief-in-training, eh?" He let out a low whistle. "He never told me that."

Katara laughed again, "Sokka doing work right? Wouldn't expect it?"

Yori chuckled slightly before letting out a long sigh, "Honestly, seems like the entire world is being run by people younger than me."

"Someone has to make up for our ancestors' mistakes," Katara gestured towards the door behind Yori, "I mean just look at your boss. He's got his work cut out for him."

Bringing up Zuko seemed to remind the guard that he was supposed to be on duty. His head whipped around the hallway again before he cleared his throat and straightened. "Well, back to work. You better hurry, Katara, or you'll miss breakfast. Don't forget to pay Sachi a visit!"

Katara squeaked, suddenly remembering why she had woken up so early to begin with. "Oh right!" She spun around and continued down the hall, "I'll see you later, Yori!"

The guard didn't answer as he had already replaced his face plate and was standing at attention in front of the Fire Lord's door.

* * *

The private dining hall was a few halls down from the residence area. While still in the East Wing, it was close enough to the kitchen at the center of the building that food could be brought in hot. Before Katara could get there, however, she bumped into another person: Mai.

The other girl appeared to be coming from the direction of the dining room, and Katara remembered Yori's mention of Zuko having breakfast with her.

"Good morning, Mai," Katara said with a smile and a slight bow of her head, "Is Zuko still eating? I need to speak with him."

Mai looked Katara up and down before meeting her eyes with a level gaze, "Why of course, he'll probably be happy to see you."

Before Katara could respond, Mai's skirts were whipping around the corner and she was gone. The waterbender stood in the hallway for a moment. She was used to Mai's dry attitude, but she had always been polite with Katara. She guessed something had happened between her and Zuko, and as she entered the dining room, she wasn't surprised to find Zuko in a similar state. He was seated at the table with his arms and legs outstretched and his palms flat against the table top. His head rested against the wood of the table, face down.

"Zuko," she said, "are those your hand marks burnt into the table?"

The Fire Lord peered up at her so that his cheek rested on the wood. "Probably."

Katara sighed before sitting down next to him. "I ran into Mai in the hallway. Want to tell me what happened?"

Zuko pulled his hands towards his face as he groaned. Katara just waited. Unlike Aang, who usually needed a little gentle nudge to talk, Zuko responded better when he was given a moment or two to gather his thoughts. Usually if she gave him time he would tell her what was on his mind.

However, this time, Zuko didn't address what was bothering him as he looked up again, "Sorry there's no food left. My head advisor will be coming in soon. What did you need from me?"

Katara frowned at him; he was avoiding her questions. Katara weighed whether or not she would call him out on it as she gave him a once over. The dark shadows under his eyes were still prominent, and something about his expression suggested that his short temper wouldn't respond well to her prodding.

"Well…" Katara said, deciding to let the matter slide for now, "I just wanted to remind you about the little changes we made to your schedule." She placed the scroll in front of him.

Zuko nodded, "Yes I remember. I'll bring it up when he comes in. Is that it?"

Katara pursed her lips. He was really trying to get rid of her. Deciding she might as well do it now, she unrolled the scroll and motioned to a little blue area that she had written a note next to. Zuko read it and looked up at her in surprise.

Katara crossed her arms defensively, "You mentioned that you don't have a decent sparring partner right? Well now that I'm here you don't have that excuse anymore!"

Zuko frowned, pointing at the spot again "Katara, that doesn't seem like enough time for a proper spar."

She smirked, "That's why I put your office time right before! If I help you out with paperwork and stuff then we can free up some extra time!" Shaking her head, she continued "Honestly, Zuko, you're a firebender! It's important that you go out and do some bending! Maybe you can even teach me that fancy Dancing Dragon of yours."

Zuko stared at her for a long moment, deliberating. Katara wasn't sure what he would say. He would probably need to consult his advisors first, after all. It wasn't like they would appreciate a Water Tribe peasant snooping around in their Fire Lord's office. To her surprise and delight however, Zuko merely gave another long sigh before responding. "I'll think about it."

Katara beamed. Zuko would eventually appreciate the training. She couldn't imagine being cooped up in an office all day and not being able to bend.

"No promises though," Zuko reminded her, although the corner of his mouth was pulling into a lopsided grin, "I'll bring it up, but you need to go now. I'm sorry… just tell any of the servants, and they'll be happy to prepare you a meal."

Katara stood up quickly with a smile as she rushed towards the door. "Don't worry about me! Just be there in the training area tonight! If you aren't there on time I _will_ go looking for you."

Zuko rolled his eyes and gave her a wave as she ran out.

Katara stood on the other side of the door. It was only her first day, but she couldn't help but be excited that she could already see the semblance of progress in her quest to help Zuko. His health was first priority on her list. She couldn't shake the shock she had felt when she had seen him in the throne room the day before. He was gaunt, and his face held the shadows of fatigue, signifying he was definitely need of better nutrition and sleep. Training was important too, given he was under a lot of stress and needed to burn it off.

There was a low grumbling and after a second of confusion, Katara realized her stomach had growled. She took it as her cue to head on to the kitchens. Yori had told her that Sachi was expecting her anyways. Katara was sure the older girl wouldn't mind fixing her something quick to eat.

* * *

During her last stay in the palace, Katara had gotten pretty comfortable with a good amount of the palace staff. They had all been confused as to the state of the nation, and she had been there to offer her assurance that yes, the war was over; no, Azula was not going to be Fire Lady; yes, Zuko would be fine; and other things. Yori had been a palace guard stationed along the perimeter of the palace courtyard. He had witnessed some of the Agni Kai between Azula and Zuko - including the part where the prince had saved Katara - and had been a huge help to Katara as she took the injured Zuko into the palace.

Soon after, Yori had brought his sister Sachi to Katara's side along with a great deal of medical supplies and food. This was explanation as to why a nineteen year old girl was the head of the kitchen staff and her twenty-one year old brother was promoted to Fire Lord's personal guard.

Katara rapped on the kitchen door with her knuckles before entering. The steam and smell of roasting meat wafting through the open door.

"Tch!" someone called loudly, "I told you all to come in through the back door! We can't have the smell of burning food stinking up the palace, now can we? Who is that?"

A girl around the corner, her long hair clipped up and pulled away from her face by a red handkerchief. The apron tied around her waist and the ladle in her hand signified her role in the kitchen. As she caught sight of Katara, her grey eyes lit up in a way similar to her brother's and a wide smile split her face.

"Why, look what the mole-cat dragged in! Katara!"

Katara smiled widely as she approached the other girl, "Hey, Sachi."

Sachi pulled Katara in for a hug before holding her at arms length and sweeping the hair off the waterbender's shoulders. "Wow, Katara! It's been what? Four months? You look great!"

Katara laughed, "I was a mess the last time you saw me, but thanks, you too!"

The older girl pulled Katara by the elbow and pushed her onto a stool in the kitchen. A few of the other women in the kitchen whom Katara recognized called out their greetings to her.

"Yori told me you were here," Sachi began as she walked around the wooden tables and pulled bananas and moon peaches out from a basket, "It's a good thing too. Fire Lord Zuko definitely needs someone to watch his back. He was so handsome before but now he's starting look like a ghost of his former self! We're all very worried about him, aren't we girls?"

The other girls in the kitchen voiced their agreement. Katara giggled as she accepted the food from Sachi's outstretched hands.

"That's why I'm here," Katara said, "General Iroh asked me to watch over Zuko - "

"Fire Lord Zuko," several of the girls correct.

Katara sighed, "Watch over _Fire Lord Zuko_ for a while."

Sachi nodded, "General Iroh definitely knows his nephew." The girl pauses and her eyes search Katara's face. "But what about you, Katara? How have you been?"

Katara smiles at the girl, "I've been good! After we left, we spent a little bit of time in Ba Sing Se, but you know that. Then Aang, Toph, and I traveled around the Earth Kingdom colonies for a while. They're all in a very interesting state politically. I talked to Zuko about it, and I'm sure Aang is writing him."

"I see, I see," Sachi said her voice growing softer. She reaches out to take ahold of Katara's hands. "You're so lucky. It must be great fun, getting to see the world. Makes staying in one place difficult, I'd imagine."

There's truth in Sachi's words. Katara could see it in Aang's restlessness when they stayed in the city too long and in Toph's insistence that they stop in every village they flew over. She could see it in Sokka's letters and Suki's letters and in the empty expression her father sometimes had, like he was a thousand miles away.

Sachi continued, "You know, the first month the Fire Lord came back, he would sneak out late in the night to the gardens of the palace grounds. Yori would usually follow him - to watch his back and such. My brother said our Lord would usually lie in the grass and stare up at the stars."

Katara smiled, recalling a certain night on Ember Island. "Sounds like him," Sachi raised an eyebrow, and Katara felt inclined to explain.

"He really likes the stars. Apparently his mother told him stories for almost all of the constellations."

It was Sachi's turn to smile, "Lady Ursa? That's definitely something she would do."

Surprised, Katara took another look at the girl in front of her, "You knew Zu - Fire Lord Zuko's mother?"

"Of course!" Sachi said enthusiastically. She tapped her chin thoughtfully as she continued. "I was still a child at the time - around 12 maybe - but all of the servants knew Lady Ursa. In fact, my mother and her would usually sit in the kitchen together just like you and me right now."

Katara tried to imagine Lady Ursa, from the few times Zuko had talked about her. One occassion - a time during their morning tea when Katara had asked Zuko about her - stood out the most in her memory.

" _Tell me about your mother."_

_Katara felt a little guilty once she saw Zuko's expression at her request. After a long moment of silence during which Katara deeply regretted letting her curiosity win, he spoke. His voice was a low rasp, and he gazed in the direction of the rising sun over the ocean._

" _Azula looks a lot like her, actually," he said. His fingers traced over the rim of his tea cup. "Although my mother was a lot… gentler."_

_Something about the way Zuko's eyes softened forced Katara to avert her eyes. She found herself staring at the tea leaves swirling in her own cup._

_Zuko continued, "She loved stories... especially old Fire Nation legends." He gave a breathy little chuckle here, "Her favorite was_ Love Amongst the Dragons _which she insisted we watch every time we were visiting Ember Island. Azula and I hated it, of course, but we did it for her."_

_Katara understood; Sokka and her would have done the same for their mother._

Zuko's voice was barely above a whisper as he finished, " _And she always smelled like this fire lily perfume that she made herself."_

_He was silent again, and Katara glanced up from her cup to watch him silently, her blue eyes tracing his profile as the rising sun lit up the unmarked part of his face._

"I wish I could have met her," Katara said softly. Sachi reached over and squeezed Katara's hands.

"She would have liked you, I'm sure."

Katara smiled and squeezed the older girl's hands in return. Satisfied, Sachi sat back and took a bite into the moon peach.

"So how long are you planning on staying, Katara?" She asked casually. Katara peeled the banana and took a bite before answering.

"Just until Iroh comes," she said, "I've been away from home for quite a long time, and I'm sure that my family misses me. Plus, it's not really fair to Aang to be away for so long."

Sachi shrugged, "I'm sure the Avatar can stand to be without a little doting."

Katara took another bite of her banana, "Yeah, but as his girlfriend I can't help but feel guilty."

Sachi paused and stared at Katara incredulously, "Girlfriend?"

Katara nodded, "Mh-hm. We started dating back in Ba Sing Se."

The older girl continued to stare at Katara with the same expression, Katara felt her cheeks heat up, "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Sachi shook her head and stared at the ceiling as she murmured something to herself that sounded an awful lot like "Dear, Spirits…"

"What?" Katara said, starting to get worried, "What is it?"

Sachi's fell back to Katara's face and she gave the worried girl a tight lipped smile. "Nothing! Nothing at all! Do you want a moon peach?"

* * *

Zuko was in for a long night.

He had brought up the schedule revisions to his head advisor, and the older man had agreed readily. However, the meetings with nobles as well as with other citizens had brought new tax issues to his attention. Zuko was going to need to the rest of the evening and probably most of the night revamping certain structures so that they could be approved by council as soon as possible.

Zuko groaned as he turned the corner and headed towards his office, his arms full of stacks on stacks of paperwork. His head advisor, Wei, trailed after him holding similar stacks of paperwork.

"Now, my Lord," the older man said, his breath coming out in shallow puffs as he struggled to keep up with Zuko's long legs, "I cannot help but remind you of how important it is that you finish these write-ups by tomorrow morning's meeting."

"Yes, I am aware, Wei," Zuko said curtly, grimacing to himself.

"Shall I send a messenger to let Lady Mai know that you will be indisposed this evening?"

Zuko nodded, "Yes… although I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't planning on having dinner with me anyways."

After their argument that morning, Zuko hadn't seen Mai all day, and he wouldn't be surprised if she took dinner in her quarters. From experience, Zuko knew that Mai had most of the say when any of their arguments ended. Even if he wanted to try to apologize, she wouldn't accept it so all he could do was wait until she wanted to see him again.

"Consider it done, my Lord."

Zuko nodded and entered his office. As he placed the piles onto his desk another thought came to mind.

"Wei?"

"Yes, my Lord?" the older man replied, placing an equally large stack next to the one on Zuko's desk.

"Would you also send a messenger to Katara, tell her that I won't be able to make our training session tonight?" Zuko felt his heart sink a little. He had been genuinely excited to finally have a sparring partner, let alone one as talented as a master waterbender. He was a little out of practice, but he was sure he could handle Katara knocking him around a bit. Besides, if anything got too intense she could always heal him afterwards.

"Ah, yes," Wei said, "I will be sure that your waterbending friend also gets the message."

Zuko nodded, "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Fire Lord Zuko," Wei gave him a deep bow and left, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as the door was shut, Zuko sighed and collapsed into his chair. He honestly shouldn't be surprised. Just because Katara was here didn't mean that his life would drastically get better. He still had piles of work.

Although, Zuko thought, glancing first at the time candle by his desk and then out his window at the stars that appeared as the sun fell to the horizon, he might still have time for his other nightly duty if he finished these stacks quickly. Determined, Zuko picked up his pen and reminded himself: he just needed to beat the sunrise.


	6. Part V.

Three days.

Katara hadn't seen Zuko in _three days._

After their little agreement, she had been naively convinced that Zuko would hold up to his side of the bargain. Besides, he was the one who would benefit most from the situation. Maybe it was something about how enamored he was with his honor. Maybe it was because she assumed he'd finally come to terms with how rough his health was.

But no, instead Katara had waited late into the night on an empty training ground, surprising the early rising servants when they found her sitting on a seat of ice at dawn, stubbornly struggling to keep herself from nodding off. She had waited for him all night.

The pattern continued for the next two days. Zuko was absent at all meals; he was never in his room no matter what time of the day she went to check. Katara would search around the palace for him, asking servants about his whereabouts and trying to intercept him as he traveled between meetings. As she grew more frustrated by the fact that he was obviously avoiding her, she had to constantly remind herself that she was a guest in the palace and that none of the innocent guards deserved to be frozen in a solid block of ice. Katara couldn't even ask Yori, it was his turn to be on rotation, moving with Zuko from room to room.

By the third day, Katara had had enough. She went into breakfast early, seething as she thought of various ways that Zuko was going to pay.

The door sliding open drew her attention.

Mai stood in the doorway, her stoic face unchanging as her gaze fell on Katara. She offered Katara a nod and took the seat across the table from her.

Katara watched Mai warily. Without Zuko being there, she hadn't expected Mai to have breakfast with her. But there Mai was, examining her fingernails as a servant began to hastily place dishes in front of her.

"So he's still keeping it up I see."

Katara blinked in confusion for a moment before looking abruptly at the girl who had spoken.

"Sorry, what?"

Mai rolled her eyes and picked up her chopsticks. "You know... Zuko?"

Katara's brow furrowed, "You mean you haven't seen him either?"

"No, I haven't," Mai said with a sigh.

Katara's frown only deepened. She would think that Zuko would at least spend a few minutes with Mai everyday. She was his girlfriend after all. Katara would have been pretty annoyed if Aang was purposefully avoiding her.

"He does this a lot? Or is it just because I'm here he's putting in the extra effort?" Katara asked with a little chuckle.

Mai gave her a half smile that eased a bit of Katara's wariness. "It's pretty normal. It does get a little boring when he's busy though."

Boring? In Caldera, the capitol of the Fire Nation? Katara frowned. What had Mai been doing in Zuko's absence? Did she have anyone else to talk to in the palace? From the way the servants acted around her, Katara assumed the other girl wasn't friends with them the same way she was.

She definitely needed to find Zuko.

"I think we should stage an intervention for him - Zuko, I mean," Katara began. A confused look fell onto Mai's face and Katara continued quickly, mentally scolding herself as words fell out of her mouth in a ramble, "He's been obviously avoiding us - well me and I guess you if that's what you said. And - well - as much as I try to find him he keeps getting away! Maybe - maybe if we both go he'll be forced to listen! Zuko is a gentleman at heart after all; I don't think he can stand to avoid his guests for too long."

Getting to the point, Katara sighed and slumped in her seat to meet Mai with hopeful eyes. Mai returned Katara's proposal with a pointed frown and silence. After a moment of what Katara assumed was contemplation, she responded, "I don't think that's a good idea, Katara. He's working."

"What? Why? You and I both know he's a workaholic!" Katara said, a little affronted.

Mai pursed her lips, and sighed, "I really think you're worrying too much. He always does this."

Katara's shoulders slumped. Mai was partially right. These were duties of the Fire Lord, one of the most powerful people in the world. Still, it didn't mean that he had to take on everything by himself. Katara moved to respond, but Mai continued offhandedly.

"I know you're used to coddling the Avatar, but Zuko will be fine without it."

Katara blinked in surprise at the comment. Coddling? She felt her face flame, and she grit her teeth before responding, "I am not coddling him," she said, taking a deep breath in her best attempt to keep her voice level, "I am here on General Iroh's request... to take care of him."

Mai's expression remained stoic, but she was avoiding Katara's eyes, choosing instead to examine her fingernails again. Katara watched warily as the edge of her sleeve slipped a bit...the sleeve where Katara knew for a fact she was hiding something sharp.

After a long moment of silence during which Katara attempted to calculate how quickly she could summon all of the water in the room to form a shield (probably around two and a half seconds), Mai sighed deeply.

"Sorry, Katara, but I've been with Zuko for months now, and well... I don't think it's a good idea."

Katara opened her mouth to respond, but Mai had already stood up abruptly.

"Your worrying will just stress him out further, but I won't stop you. Do whatever you want," And with another curt nod, she was gone, the door snapping shut in her wake.

Once silence settled in the room, Katara huffed and pushed her half eaten rice away from her, suddenly not hungry. She had only wanted to help, but Mai had shot her down so quickly. She couldn't understand why Mai was being so... blasé about Zuko's situation. Shouldn't she try and be more involved with the politics? It would be good practice for her after all... Zuko would be of marrying age in a year. _Not that Zuko had mentioned anything about marriage of course_ , Katara added mentally.

The servant girl who brought out their dishes came forward and began to load Mai's leftover food onto her tray. Katara watched her silently as her mind was churning. Maybe Mai was right? It wasn't healthy for Zuko to focus on work all of the time, and maybe her worrying _was_ just stressing him out. Was that why Mai was so reserved about it? Was avoiding discussing work with Zuko her way to distract him from his stress?

Katara's eyes followed the girl. Her small stature and dark hair gave her a surprising resemblance to Toph, although her eyes didn't have the same milky quality to them. Instead, she was eyeing the fresh foods with longing. There really was an abundance; Mai hardly had time to touch anything between arriving and storming out (or at least as close to storming out as Mai would do). Katara's mind slipped away from Mai and Zuko as she recognized the look on the girl's face.

"You're welcome to sit down and eat some," Katara said quietly. The other girl's head snapped up, "there's plenty.".

"I-I really can't... Master Katara," the young girl said sheepishly, "I'm supposed to bring it back to the kitchen..."

Katara smiled as she stood up and swept the tray out of the girls hands as she said, "Well then I'll come with you." The girl looked horrified and glanced at the servant entrance in panic as Katara started to pile dishes onto the tray herself. "And just Katara is fine," the waterbender said gently, the familiarity of housework effectively beginning to lift her spirits, "I was planning on paying Sachi a visit anyways."

The girl stuttered as Katara finished the job and looked at her expectantly. "All done... Now lead the way!"

The girl's face flushed brightly and after a moment, she motioned for Katara to follow her down the servant's corridor.

The passageway was dry and clean with a plain wooden floor that creaked under their feet. It was rather dim despite the evenly placed torches along the walls. She could hear the clatter from the kitchen nearby, and soon enough they stopped at a curtained door immediately to their right. As the girl held the curtain back and motioned for her to enter, Katara couldn't help but give a curious glance to her left towards the rest of the passageway. How far did they continue? Were they behind all of the walls of the palace?

"Eru, who have you tricked into doing your work this time?!" a familiar voice rang out from the back of the kitchen.

The girl blushed bright red and turned to Katara with wide eyes and a flustered expression before the waterbender laughed. "It's just me. Katara."

The older girl came around the corner and chuckled. "Ohhhh. Now that makes more sense." Sachi reached over and smoothed Eru's black bangs out of her face. The shorter girl flushed an even brighter red, "Please try not to give the girl a heart attack, Katara."

Katara grinned, "Sorry about that. I was just getting a little…" - she tried to think of a proper word to describe her distress following the conversation with Mai -. "...Antsy, I guess. I needed to get busy."

Sachi shook her head good naturedly. "Well you came at a good time! Breakfast just ended, and we have loads of dishes to wash." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the sinks. "I'm sure the girls would love the help of a waterbender!"

Katara laughed, "Okay, I'll get right on that." She held up the tray, and Sachi ushered her past flustered Eru towards the back counter.

"Can I ask where all of the extra food goes?" Katara asked. As they walked, kitchen girls all nodded at her and she gave them warm smiles in return. They were cleaning up from the past meal and beginning prep work for lunch. With the amount of food everywhere, Katara briefly wondered how many people lived on the palace grounds.

Sachi shrugged, "Different places, a lot of it goes to the servant quarters at the Southern part of the palace grounds. The older things go into the animal food or fertilizer for gardens."

Katara placed the tray on the table and watched as Sachi began to slide the food into meal boxes. "The servant quarters?" Katara asked, "You mean all you get to eat is leftovers?"

Sachi's hands paused, and she looked up at Katara with a grin, "No! Well at least not anymore." She turned back to the task at hand as she continued, "In the time of the previous Fire Lords that was pretty normal of course. But now- well, you know Fire Lord Zuko better than I do."

Katara smiled and rolled her eyes. Of course Zuko would take care of it.

Sachi glanced up from her work and arched an eyebrow. "Speaking of the Fire Lord," she said, "How is it going with your job from General Iroh?"

Katara groaned and slumped from where she was leaning on the counter. Sachi laughed, "I see."

"Honestly, Sachi," Katara said, "I know he's busy and I completely understand if he's avoiding just me, but he's avoiding Mai too!"

Sachi nodded, "I know. Before this morning Lady Mai had been taking all of her meals in her room." The older girl glanced around before whispering, "Although that's pretty normal. It happens for a few days whenever she has an argument with our Lord, and then all of a sudden she's back in the dining room with him. Fire Lord Zuko apologizes, she rolls her eyes, and they continue like nothing happened."

After giving the older a girl a strange look, Katara asked, "W-What? Why do you know that?"

Sachi gave Katara a toothy grin. "Sometimes the nobles tend to forget when servants are in the room. Plus the walls around the palace are pretty thin in certain places."

Katara thought of the dark servant passages. She imagined that you could hear a lot of conversations through the walls.

Pushing the thought aside, Katara focused on more pressing matters, namely how they had gotten to this conversation point in the first place. "Okay, but about Zuko-"

"Fire Lord Zuko," Sachi said without looking up. Katara sighed.

"About the Fire Lord, I honestly can't catch him!" Katara threw her hands in the air as she continued, "It's like he never sleeps or something because he's never in his room! And when I go to his office the guards won't let me through, and it's not like I can just force them… They don't deserve that." Sachi snickered, but Katara ignored it as she grumbled.

"They're always saying that Zu - Fire Lord Zuko can only be bothered for 'official business' - whatever that means, or for servants performing jobs. Something about the trade agreement drafts needing to be completed by the end of this week, which makes sense, but honestly! It sounds like Zuko…" Sachi's eyes lifted, but Katara caught herself, "er... Fire Lord Zuko… Well it sounds like he is the only one working on it! I mean he's only human!"

Sachi had finished her work before Katara had finished speaking. She was watching her with a curious expression that made Katara frown.

"What?"

Katara was suddenly aware that a few other women around them had stopped their work to listen to her as her voice rose. They all looked at her with expressions similar to Sachi's.

Red-faced, Katara scowled, making Sachi giggle and pat her on the shoulder.

"Why don't you go take care of those dishes now, Katara?"

* * *

The dishes were done with surprising speed, earning Katara a lot of praise from the rest of the girls. Sachi gave her a moon peach for her trouble, and Katara sat on one of the counters, eating it while she conversed amicably with Sachi while the latter cut mangos.

"So how many people live in the servants' quarters?" Katara asked, referencing their earlier conversation about the surplus food. Sachi shrugged.

"Well, there's a lot of people," Sachi said, "It's not exactly quarters so much as a small community. The royal family doesn't hire new help very often, just a few young men or women to replace the older ones. Usually families work on the palace grounds for a few generations."

Sachi moved between the counters to look around inside one of the pantries. "It used to be like that at least… During Fire Lord Azulon's rule - and even more so during Fire Lord Ozai's - a lot of old generation families left because they couldn't tolerate living under such a master." Finding what she was looking for, Sachi returned to her previous spot and began spooning small red chips into a bowl. Her fingers were long and her movements agile and Katara was reminded of the women cooking back in her tribe.

"Well, weren't the past few Fire Lords similar to them?" Katara asked. Sachi nodded.

"Yes, that's true, but usually the Fire Lord would have the Fire Lady to handle the servants and their affairs. The Fire Ladies rarely shared the same disposition as their husbands, political marriages usually end up with incompatible couples like that," Katara's mind immediately went to Yue and Hahn, and she nodded in understanding.

"Fire Lady Ilah died rather early, leaving Fire Lord Azulon alone for many years. Later, General Iroh's wife, Lady Masumi, died in childbirth, and Lady Ursa left before Fire Lord Ozai was crowned, so provisions for servants fell drastically for those years… That is until Fire Lord Zuko."

Katara smiled and took another bite into her moon peach. Typical Zuko.

"Maybe I can come visit the servant quarters some time?" Katara asked, "Is your family there?"

Sachi nodded, "Yes of course! I'm sure our mother would like to meet you after all! And you can meet Yori's betrothed."

This surprised Katara. She knew Yori was of marrying age, but she didn't realize that he would be engaged already. She also remembered the story that Sachi had said about her mother and Lady Ursa. Katara would like to hear about that.

The tray was finished and Sachi went to go wash her hands. It was a good looking meal, Katara decided: roasted sea slug and rice, sauteed peppers and banana carrots, and sliced mango. Katara gave a curious glance to the side of red chips next to the mangos. They looked like fire flakes, she realized with a start. _That's funny,_ she thought, _who puts fire flakes on their mango?_ She had only tried it once, when they were on the run, and she found it quite unappetizing. Sokka liked it, but that was Sokka and he liked almost anything. Aang and Toph agreed with her that the combo was - as Toph put it - like eating soggy cinders. That left Sokka a little annoyed, but then he would respond with, "Well at least more for me and Zuko."

Katara almost choked on her moon peach.

"Sachi!" she squeaked when the older girl came back drying her hands on a dish rag. Sachi started and took a step back as she stuttered, "W-What?"

Katara dropped down from the counter and gestured towards the tray. "This is for Zuko isn't it!"

"Fire Lord Zu-"

"Yes, I know! Please, let me deliver it to him!" Katara said enthusiastically, reaching for one of Sachi's hands and holding it tightly between her own clasped hands. Sachi stared at her incredulously, but Katara continued.

"Come on, Sachi!"

Sachi stammered, "Katara! You know I can't. Fire Lord Zuko gave his orders -"

"I know, I know!" Katara interrupted, "but he said servants doing their jobs were welcome! I'll just dress as a servant and go into his office! It'll be fine!"

Sachi shook her head. She pulled off her bandana with her free hand and ran a hand through her hair, giving Katara an exasperated look in the process. "Katara, I can't…"

Reaching for Sachi's free hand hand and clasping them both under her chin, Katara pulled out the puppy eyes that she'd perfected on Sokka. The one that - on a good day - could convince him to share his seal jerky with her. If she could convince her brother with that face, Katara knew Sachi didn't stand a chance.

Sachi stared at the ceiling, but the moment she met her eyes, Katara could see that she'd won.

"Fine," Sachi groaned, snatching her hands away. Katara smiled widely, but Sachi pointed a finger in her face. "But if we get in trouble, you forced me to do this, got it?" Katara nodded enthusiastically and threw her arms around Sachi.

"Oh! Thank you!"

* * *

The servant tunic was a little too big, and the pants a little too long, but Katara didn't mind. Sachi had reluctantly given her the clothes and pulled Katara's hair into a Fire Nation twist. She'd even lent her a bandanna, before sending her on her way. It took all of Katara's self control to not run down the hallway with the tray.

When she reached Zuko's office and saw the three guards in front of the door she knew Zuko was inside. Plus, Katara could tell from the horrid posture that one of them was Yori.

After taking a moment to compose herself before stepping forward, she bowed slightly to the guards.

"I'm here with Zu- Fire Lord Zuko's lunch."

All three of the guards looked down at her, and from the corner of her eye she could see Yori start. Katara bit back a grin.

"Who are you?" The middle guard asked, "You aren't the usual girl. Where is Eru?"

Katara looked up slightly, "Eru had another task to complete. My name is Sapphire. Sachi sent me instead." Upon finishing she bowed slightly again.

"Why have I never seen you before then?" the middle guard asked, "I would remember those eyes, and a name like that. The kitchen never sends new servants to the Fire Lord's presence."

Katara felt her palms sweat, but she swallowed down her nervousness and replied coolly. "I'm not new. Just ask Yori."

The two guards turned to their comrade on the left who staggered back in panic. Katara could imagine their faces behind their faceplates, and she held back a snicker.

"Do you know this girl, Yori?" the middle guard asked. Katara recognized his shift in posture as he lifted his arm to scratch the back of his head, apparently forgetting his head was covered by a helmet.

Yori gave a breathy laugh from behind his faceplate, "Uhm, yes… uh- Sapphire here is an old family friend. She's been working down in the - uh - laundry for a while, but Sachi had her moved up to the kitchen. Isn't that right - er - Sapphire?"

Katara bowed deeper. After a moment, the middle guard sighed, and grumbled something that sounded a lot like "No one tells me anything." He motioned for both of the other guards to stand to the side, leaving the door open.

"Go ahead," he said, "Just place the tray on the Fire Lord's desk, bow, and stand to the side until he finishes eating, then take the tray and leave. Don't say anything to him."

Katara nodded, "All right, thank you."

As she swept past them, she couldn't help but give Yori a sideways glance. She knew he would be annoyed.

Katara hadn't been into Zuko's office since her first day when she had stormed in. It had only been Yori outside at the time, but obviously Zuko had upped his security since then.

The room was well lit from the large window on Katara's left. Shelves lined the walls from the floor to the high ceiling and each compartment was crammed full with scrolls of varying sizes. A few tables were placed throughout the room with chairs, probably for visiting nobles in meetings with the Fire Lord, and on a few of the tables were some flowers along with interesting little trinkets that Katara were certain must be gifts from Iroh. Lastly, there was a large wooden desk at the far end of the room, barely visible under the stacks of paper on it.

Zuko was sitting at the desk, his eyes focused on the sheets before him and his brush moving quickly as he signed and marked the documents. Katara felt her stomach twist upon seeing him. He looked even worse than before, the additional fatigue from the last three days setting in.

Katara's footsteps were quiet, as she approached the desk and placed the tray in the one empty spot of his desk. He didn't look up, but mumbled a "Thank you".

"You're welcome, Zuko," Katara said, grinning wickedly. Upon hearing her words, Zuko's brush jerked across the page and his head whipped up. Despite his current state, Katara couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction when she saw the surprise in his face.

"K-Katara?" Zuko gulped, "W-what? How are you? What?!"

"I told you I'd find you!" She said happily. Katara placed a hand on his desk, so that her eyes were level with his, "Now what in La's name do you think you're DOING?!"

Zuko scrambled away from her, and Katara only leaned farther forward.

"Zuko!" She all but yelled at him, "Has anything I've told you gotten through to you?! You idiot!"

There was a loud commotion as the door to the office flung open, "Fire Lord Zuko!" She heard a guard yell, as a lance flew past her and impaled itself in the bookshelf on the far wall, knocking scrolls onto the ground and scattering papers, but Katara was quick. She called upon the water from the flower vases by the window and within seconds she held ice daggers in each hand.

"A waterbender!" she heard the middle guard gasp. He turned an accusatory glance at Yori. "You! You let a spy right past us!"

Yori jumped back, "She's not a spy! I swear!"

The middle guard opened his mouth to yell as the third guard held his lance towards Yori's throat. Katara poised to toss a dagger when there was a growl and a burst of smoke.

"STOP," Zuko commanded, fire wisping out from his clenched fists. The guards, upon hearing their Lord address them, immediately stood at attention. Zuko had apparently gained much of his composure during the brief scuffle, for he sighed, smoke curling from his nostrils. After a long moment of silence, where no one - even Katara - dared to move, he spoke.

"I'm sorry," he said to his guards in an exasperated tone. He shot Katara an annoyed look before continuing, "I'm fine."

"But, my Lord!" the tallest guard said, "We heard a commotion!"

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "No need to worry. It was just my friend here," he said with a gesture towards the waterbender who had straightened into a normal stance and returned the water to the flower vases. Katara held her hands up in a non-committal gesture. It was Zuko's fault she had to resort to this anyways.

Zuko continued, "I'm sure you've heard of Master Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe." The guards straightened and turned to look at Katara. "This is her."

"But , my Lord… Yori claimed that her name was Sapphire, and that she was an old family friend," the middle guard said again. Zuko frowned and turned to Katara.

"I'd appreciate it if you would stop manipulating my men." Katara just grinned in response.

Zuko let out another sigh, and Katara almost snorted. He was being a little dramatic after all.

"Leave us be," he said to his guards, "We'll be fine. Thank you, very much." He gave them a bow, which they returned before leaving out the door. Katara noticed with amusement that Yori trailed behind, giving her what she imagined was an annoyed expression.

After the door was shut, Zuko turned towards Katara with a scowl. Suddenly the room felt too small, and Katara squirmed under his gaze.

"I'm sorry," she said. "That might have been a little dramatic…"

Zuko continued to scowl at her. Katara simply pulled up a chair to Zuko's desk and sat down. She gestured towards the food.

"You should eat before it gets cold."

Zuko sat down slowly, and Katara began to move a few papers and such around on his desk so that she could push the tray closer to him. He stared at the food before raising his eyebrow at her in an expression that obviously meant "explain".

Katara sighed and sat back in the chair, "I was in the kitchen with Sachi, while she was prepping your meal. She didn't say anything to me, but I saw the fire flakes and the mango and knew it was for you… and well…" Katara pursed her lips and looked away from him.

Both of them were silent. Katara bit her lip. _How stupid of me_ , she thought, _now he's just angry and the idiot is only going to get more stubborn! I should have listened to Mai!_

But then she heard a snort and she turned her attention back to Zuko. He was still giving her a level gaze, but she could see he was holding back a laugh.

Soon enough they were both laughing.

"I always forget how persistent you are," Zuko said between breaths, Katara smirked at him.

"I always forget how stubborn _you_ are," Katara said back.

Zuko shook his head and scoffed. "Fine, Katara, what do you want?"

Katara shrugged, and rolled her eyes. Wasn't it obvious?

"Well I was going to teach you a lesson for keeping me waiting the other day, but..." she gestured towards him, "in the sorry state you're in I don't think I can beat you up without feeling bad…" Zuko rolled his eyes.

"So what do you propose?"

Katara grinned, "Well… how about instead of a spar… we have a healing session?" This seemed to surprise Zuko as his eyebrow shot up towards his hairline, but Katara continued. "I know it still hurts…"

Zuko's hand absentmindedly moved to his chest, to the spot where Katara knew there was a star-shaped scar. He didn't respond for a long moment, his golden eyes tracing over her face. Katara gave him a steely glance, until she saw his resolve crack.

"Fine. We'll have it after dinner."

Katara grinned and crossed her arms in victory, "I'm glad you're seeing reason, Zuko."

The young man grunted and reached for his chopsticks. He poised to dig in when he noticed Katara was still sitting in her chair. He gave her a questioning look. "I said after dinner, Katara."

She scoffed, "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you play me like that again, Zuko?"

She thought of the last promise Zuko had made, the one that left her out in a courtyard all night and scoffed again. Zuko's cheeks flushed as she spoke, but Katara just crossed her legs and said resolutely, "I'm staying right here so you can't run away again." She grinned widely, "In fact, I think I'll stay right by your side for a while… at least until you can properly take care of yourself."

Zuko gave her a measured look, but his cheeks were still red. After a moment, he threw his hands up in defeat.

"Fine, Katara," he said. He stood and moved to a bookshelf at the far end of the room. She watched as he began pulling out a few scrolls until his arms were filled. He returned and plopped them in her lap where she had to scramble to keep them from slipping to the ground and unrolling.

"What are these?" Katara asked. Her hands were too full to examine them.

"Fire Nation policies," Zuko said as he took a bite of his rice. He swallowed and then shot her a grin. "You might as well make yourself useful while you're with me. Study up, Katara."


	7. Part VI.

Red-faced, Katara pointed towards the lounge in Zuko's sitting room. "Take off your clothes and lie down," she said hastily, setting a large bowl of water on a side table.

"Can't we use the bed," Zuko said with a gesture towards the double door entrance to his bedroom. Katara was shuffling about his quarters, peering out the tall, curtained window and examining the moon. "I mean it's bigger, and a lot more comfortable…"

She turned slightly and looked at him with her hands on her hips and her cheeks still tinged pink. She pointed at the lounge, more resolutely this time, and simply gave him a look. Zuko sighed as he made his way over and started unfastening his Fire Lord robes.

"You know," he told her as he fumbled to lift the shoulder plates over his head. "You really don't have to do this Katara. It doesn't hurt as much as before."

Katara was sitting on the lounge waiting for him, undoing the wraps around her wrists and flexing her fingers. She bent a stream of water out of the bowl, and her fingertips lit up a cool blue.

"I know," she said, "but a check-up can't hurt right?" After gliding the water through her fingers for a moment, she flung the water back into the bowl and stood to make room for him when he finally shed his tunic, leaving him in just his pants. Zuko felt her eyes roll over his frame before settling on the pink and mottled starburst sitting in the center of his chest.

It was almost unsettling to have the scar exposed to the air. Since he received it, only a handful of people had seen it properly enough to examine. Yori, Sachi, and Katara had seen it when it happened, (although only Katara was there the whole time.) The physician saw it when he had been recommended a lightening cream. Mai had kept her surprise to herself when she first saw it unbandaged. Even now, when they kissed, her roaming hands would avoid the spot. She never asked questions, never brought it up, but Zuko could almost always catch her eyes falling to it when they were together, her eyes holding a look of pity, like he didn't deserve another mark besides the one on his face.

But Zuko didn't think of the mark on his chest as a burden. Unlike his first scar, he had chosen to receive the second. In fact, he was proud to receive the second and would choose to have it over and over again if he needed to.

Zuko gingerly sat on the lounge, hearing his joints crack as he reclined. Once he was settled comfortably, Katara pulled a stool closer. She slowly reached out a hand and held two fingers to his inner wrist, searching for a pulse. Her fingers were cool on his skin, Zuko noted, and he watched her silently as she closed her eyes and counted out the pace of his heart under her breath. He had a vague memory of her doing this to him before, probably some time before his coronation. Zuko came to the realization that this was the first time she was healing him while he was fully conscious.

With a flick of her wrist, Katara called a bit of water to her hands, and both were soon encased in glowing gloves.

"Sorry," she said softly, her hands hovering over his bare chest. "It's probably going to be a little cold."

Zuko nodded. Katara smiled and lowered her hands onto his chest, causing her patient to inhale sharply. She pressed forward, only pausing as she murmured, "sorry, sorry…"

Zuko swallowed and tried to focus on Katara rather than the chilling water and tingling sensation of her bending. The glowing blue cast an eerie light on her face, and her cheekbones cast dark shadows over her eyes. She started by rolling the water over his hands and arms. He could feel her fingers massaging his skin lightly, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

"I'm checking your nerves," she said plainly. Zuko bit his lip and nodded as she continued her work. Her brow was set in concentration, her lips pursed as she wove the water over his skin. After what seemed like an eternity, Katara finally turned her attention towards the main problem. Zuko noticed her chew on her lip.

"Tell me if it hurts," Katara said when her hands eased towards his scar. She let her fingers fan out over the entire shape, the water spreading to cover it. After a moment, she let out an even breath and pulled her hand up slowly, her fingers lingering and pulling the water into a long stream. The water resting on his chest lit up brighter. Zuko felt his fingertips and toes tingle as a sudden pressure moved towards the spot. Katara then pressed the water down again, and the pressure subsided. As she continued the movement two or three times, Zuko felt a pressure building in his chest until it reached a warm heat. He opened his mouth to comment, when Katara's pulled up higher than before and he felt a sudden sharp pain that caused him to gasp. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. His hands clenched into fists as he hissed in pain.

Katara responded immediately, pulling the water away. Zuko vaguely heard it splatter onto the floor as Katara said, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Are you okay?!"

Zuko gazed at the ceiling, not responding. Spots danced across his vision, and he tried to catch his breath as the pressure began to fade. "Y-Yeah… I'm fine…" Katara breathed a sigh of relief before reaching forward to help Zuko gingerly sit up. He glanced at her as he inhaled deeply. "Well that was..."

Katara grimaced, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that! I just…" She paused, and Zuko noticed she was chewing on her lip again. "Well the muscle and tissue around your scar are all properly healed, but there's still something wrong…" Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued. "I think… I think it's disrupting your chi flow…"

Zuko frowned deeply, his hand reaching towards the scar the same way he had many times before. "I see…"

Katara's eyes widened, "No! It's not too bad!" she continued, trying - Zuko assumed - to reassure him. "It's just a little thing! The pain was just from me trying to rearrange it, but the block itself shouldn't have too many side effects, like you'll still be able to bend and it won't hurt anything. Besides, I'll get right to work figuring out what I can do - I mean aside from all of the studying and paper work I'm going to be doing to help you with your other work - which just to remind you I chose to do so you shouldn't feel guilty about that either - "

"Katara."

" - Speaking of studying, I finished all of those scrolls you gave me. I noticed that the ones you gave me didn't mention anything about foreign negotiations, which being from the Water Tribes and all would be really interesting for me. Especially with those trade documents you mentioned earlier -"

"Katara."

"And I have a lot more questions about a lot of things that are different here. Like about the Fire Sages and the taxes and the whole thing with nobility. And how does the school system work? Aang went to a Fire Nation school once and he was mentioning some inconsistencies with the nar-"

Zuko reached forward and gripped Katara's shoulders, effectively stopping her babbling. "Hey, Katara. Focus." He hoped his voice was serious, but he couldn't help but crack a smile at his friend.

Katara paused, her eyes met Zuko's, dropped down to stare at the scar on his chest for a split second before immediately flitting back to his face. She inhaled deeply, "Right. Focus."

Letting her go, Zuko stood and reached for the tunic that he had tossed onto the back of a chair. Katara shook her head and began to collect the water she had spilt onto the floor. Zuko watched her silently, noting that even in the dim candlelight her cheeks were a bit flushed, probably from a combination of bending and the muggy Fire Nation climate.

"Katara…" Zuko said, her name light like an afterthought. "How about we turn in early tonight?" Zuko asked.

The waterbender stopped what she was doing and turned towards him in surprise. "What?"

Zuko shrugged, wringing his tunic in his hands. "Let's turn in early... I actually finished most of my paperwork… And you'll be helping me tomorrow and for a while so…"

Katara just blinked at him, causing a bubble of worry to grow in Zuko - only to be promptly burst as Katara started giggling..

"Wow! I've finally gotten through to you!" she said happily.. Zuko sighed, but his mouth crept into a smile.

"Fine, fine," Zuko said, balling up his tunic and lightly tossing it at the laughing girl. Katara batted it away easily. "You're right, okay? I need some rest. Now please stop rubbing it in and go to bed."

AS her laughter died down, Katara was left grinning at him smugly as she quickly collected her things and made her way towards the door. With her bowl at her hip, she turned towards him before exiting. "Of course I'm right! Now, good night, Zuko! I'll see you bright and early for breakfast, right?"

"Of course, Katara…" Zuko said, rolling his eyes before giving her a genuine smile. "Thanks for everything... Now please go to bed."

She gave him a nod and one last smug grin before slipping out the door.

Zuko sighed and reached for his tunic on the floor.

* * *

Zuko and Katara soon fell into such an easy rhythm that by the time two weeks had passed he had had no idea how he had survived without her by his side.

_"You had a typo on the third line of that new welfare bill. Don't worry, though. I took care of it for you."_

_"Thanks, Katara."_

_"Mh-hm."_

* * *

_"Wei was looking for you earlier. Something about a Lord Tang requesting your presence."_

_"Ugh. It's just another offer of courtship. I don't have time for that."_

_"That's what I assumed so I told him you had other urgent matters."_

_"Good. Thanks, Katara."_

_"No worries, Zuko."_

* * *

_"Zuko? Sachi brought some… uh… herbal tea by my quarters last night… she said you asked her to?"_

_"Yeah… you looked a little uncomfortable in your chair yesterday…Did it help?"_

_"Uh… yeah… it did… how-how did you know?"_

_"My mom always said women liked that tea….something about moon cycles?"_

* * *

Thanks to Katara, Zuko was finding himself more relaxed. Her warm presence made the hours of paperwork much more pleasant as they fell into easy conversation every time she decided their cramped hands and strained eyes needed a break. The talks somewhat reminded him of the early morning chats they had had over tea before the arrival of the comet, when they would whisper to each other in the morning light. However, back then, when they talked of inner darkness and their fears for the future, Katara had been Zuko's confidant and she his. Now, in his office with the constant threat of the end of the world lifted off their shoulders and replaced with the hopeful prospect of peace, Zuko came to realize that he genuinely enjoyed being around her.

They talked about everything: work, their homelands and culture, their childhoods, bending techniques, letters they received from their other friends. Everything. Two things became apparent to Zuko immediately. First, that Uncle had been completely right in asking Katara to come and that he was very, very glad she did. Second, that both of them were atrocious when it came to joke telling.

Even the council, who had strongly opposed the meddling of a "water tribe peasant" in the affairs of their nation, were more forgiving upon hearing that it was Katara who had saved their young Lord's life. Later, they were all but welcoming when Zuko announced that Katara would serve as a liaison between the Water Tribes and Fire Nation during their continued efforts to push the Fire Nation towards friendlier international affairs. It also helped that Katara had learned a considerable amount of the ins and outs of Fire Nation politics seemingly overnight. Considering how quickly she'd mastered waterbending, Zuko wasn't all too surprised.

Granted Zuko was still working himself ragged for the good of his nation, but after Katara's arrival he hardly ever felt like he was about to drop dead from exhaustion. He finally was able to get back into the habit of morning meditation and training. He returned to his quarters at an earlier hour each night and usually didn't need to take meals in his office, meaning he was able to see Mai more.

Katara's arrival was spirit-sent.

"At this rate, we'll be done with the first trade drafts by the next full moon!"" Zuko told Mai excitedly as he all but shoveled food into his mouth at breakfast one morning. Katara wasn't with them. It was the first time within two weeks that she and Zuko had been apart for longer than four candle sparks, but Katara had said that Zuko would be fine without her today, choosing instead to have the day off to take Sachi up on some sort of offer.

To Zuko's pleasure, Mai nodded, "That's great, Zuko."

When his schedule had been adjusted into a healthier pattern, Mai's mood did not improve all too drastically (despite the fact that he now had the time to see her for each meal and sometimes afternoon tea.) Thus, he was pleasantly surprised at her current good mood.

Zuko smiled, "Isn't it? The economy will benefit so much from the new revenue. We'll be able implement so many more welfare bills too, especially for the outer islands. Katara visited some during her travels, and she assured me that they definitely could use some help."

Zuko - with Katara's help - had finished one of the last few pages of the necessary documents that night. Once it was completely approved by the council they would be able create the final draft and send it to both the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. It was such a huge step forward, and he and Katara couldn't wait for it to take effect. His biggest hope was that it would help decrease the animosity other people held towards his country; trade would let them see the beauty and good of his nation. He hoped his people would benefit from the cultural exposure as well.

Mai smirked and began to speak, her tone of voice pulling Zuko out of his thoughts of taxes, trade routes, and a desire to taste Water Tribe cuisine. "Since this big project of yours is almost over…" Zuko paused between bites to turn towards Mai in curiosity. She was giving him her look. Mai leaned in closer to him, her hand coming to rest on his knee. He swallowed thickly.

"Maybe we can finally take that trip to Ember Island?" she said softly.

Zuko was staring at Mai's hand on his knee before he glanced up to meet her eyes. Mai's other hand found its way to his shoulder before she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was gentle and sweet, her mouth lingering on the corner of his. Zuko was a bit surprised. Now that he was Fire Lord, he was on the job all the time. Affection between him and Mai happened mostly in the privacy of his quarters. Besides he was pretty sure that Eru was standing in the corner of the room, probably mortified.

"What do you say, hmm?" Mai murmured before she leaned in for another kiss. However after a moment, when Zuko felt her tongue graze his bottom lip, he hesitated, and - unable to stop her due to the chopsticks and bowl of rice that were still in his hands - turned his head. Mai bumped her nose against his cheek.

"Not right now, Mai..." Zuko said softly, his gentle tones not saving the moment. There was a pause as his words registered with her. Zuko turned to look at his girlfriend, her face impassive as ever as she pulled back away from him and averted her eyes. Feeling guilty, Zuko sighed and reached out to take her hand, rubbing his thumb against her knuckles.

"I would love to go with you," Zuko said, "Honestly." Remembering their last argument a few weeks ago, Zuko squeezed her hand gently. Mai silently watched their hands as Zuko continued. "It's just… well… Katara's birthday is actually this weekend. Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Suki are all coming to stay in the palace for a while. Plus, once the trade agreements have been settled I'll need to be here for the transition. I'm sorry, Mai. I'll make it up to you."

The girl continued to watch their hands for a moment, and Zuko felt an even heavier guilt settle in his stomach. He knew he wasn't being fair to her.

Finally, Mai turned to look at him, her dark eyes dashing over his features. After a long moment, she simply shook her head and shrugged. "Alright."

Zuko smiled and squeezed her hand again.

"It'll be amazing. I promise."

* * *

"It's only a little farther, Katara," Sachi told her. Katara bit back a groan. Carrying a wicker basket full of fruits over her back was one thing, doing it in the humid Fire Nation heat was another thing. Granted, it was much, much cooler this time of year than it had been around the time of the comet, but the heat still left her feeling quite sweaty and sticky.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Katara asked.

Sachi laughed. "Yep! We have to get past all of the tallest buildings. Now come on!"

Katara had decided to take up Sachi's offer of visiting the servant quarters that morning. Sachi had been delighted, saying that the other kitchen girls had been insisting she bring gifts to their families. The Water Tribe girl's timing had been perfect as Sachi had actually been planning to make the trip anyways. Sachi had asked if Katara wanted to take a carriage and meet her there, but Katara said she would enjoy a walk.

Despite the heat, and the weight on her back that only seemed to be growing heavier and heavier, Katara did in fact enjoy walking through the city. She had dressed in her borrowed servant tunic to avoid any extra attention as she followed after Sachi through the streets. During her last visit, Katara had stayed almost exclusively in the palace and the royal gardens in order to care for Zuko. During her first visit, she had been part of an attack on the city which wasn't exactly the greatest opportunity for sightseeing.

Sachi explained as they walked that the palace was at the center of Caldera, which was the crater where most of the nobility had houses. The servant quarters were at the eastern edge, just on the outside of the crater, serving as a sort of buffer between Caldera and the Harbor City. The servants working in the palace lived in the palace, but their families and the workers who served in the palace gardens, stables, and at the other resources for the nobility all lived in the village. Katara already knew most of the things that Sachi was telling her because of the scrolls Zuko had lent her, but hearing about the city from a citizen herself was much more telling than reading text.

The streets were narrow as they walked through the noble houses. The tall, elegant buildings were silent in the early morning hours, the sky turning a rich lavender in preparation for dawn. Katara was vaguely reminded of the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. However, even this early in the morning the streets were much more lively. Servants scurried past, lugging carts full of supplies. Young men carried sheets of metal between them as they headed for their workshop.

Gradually, their path began to incline, and Katara had to stop a few times to shift her pack. Sachi was growing more excited.

"Usually we can just use the tunnel that goes through the crater wall," she said over her shoulder as she picked up the pace, "but, I'm pretty sure that you'll want to see this."

Sachi stopped near the top of the road and turned to face Katara, her hands on her hips and a wide smile on her face. "We made it just in time!"

As the older girl turned back to what was behind her, Katara finally caught up.

"There better not be another hill to climb after this one," Katara said, slightly out of breath. She pulled the basket off her shoulders and straightened to stand next to Sachi, only to be greeted with a view definitely worth the walk.

Standing at the top of the ridge, Sachi and Katara could see all of the land from Caldera to the harbor. Pointed, red roofed buildings spread across the landscape, their peaks and angles all pointing directly towards the heavens. The lavender sky was quickly changing to a dusky brown as the minutes passed. Throughout the city, lanterns were dotting out in preparation for the dawn. The lights weren't disappearing, however, but migrating. Every dot of light throughout the city raced down the streets towards the center, like water droplets collecting on leaves. The lights scaled and collected at a red tower near the gates of the harbor. Katara recognized it as the Royal Plaza.

"Watch closely now," Sachi whispered to Katara. Even the wind seemed to stop in anticipation.

The final lights collected at the plaza, and after a few seconds, there was an orange glow, like an ember. The glow strengthened, and soon tongues of undulating orange waves of flame flew from it, only to lick and spark towards the ocean. As the fire approached, the now orange sky blended seamlessly with the curtains of flames. Katara felt her breath catch when finally, the sun appeared, a phoenix seemingly rising from the folds on the horizon. The two girls waited in silence as it rose higher, all the while seeming to feed color back into the world, the blue of the ocean bleeding back into the land and sky and rolling hills.

"My country is beautiful," Sachi said after a moment, "Isn't it?"

Katara smiled. "It really is."

* * *

After they made their way down the ridge, Sachi lead Katara into the village. The buildings were squat and less extravagant, but definitely clean. The streets teemed with life as many of the servants were preparing to make their way into Caldera, hooking up their carts to their animals and calling to one another to hurry up. Little children ran through the streets, their mothers calling out to them. Older citizens sat in doorways and in front of shops, sharing breakfast with each other.

Everyone seemed to notice Sachi the moment she set foot onto the grounds. The little children stopped their play and squealed in delight as they came to walk behind her all the while chanting her name. Men nodded towards her and tipped their hats while women called out to her in greeting. Katara was pleased to see a content expression on Sachi's face.

"Sorry, Katara," Sachi had said while grimacing apologetically, "it's not often we have the spare time to come home, you see…"

Katara simply laughed, "Well it seems like everyone is excited to see you!"

Sachi smiled and motioned for Katara to follow her again. They made a left at the end of the street and stopped in front of a small building no different from the dozen or so that they had just passed.

"This is home!" Sachi said enthusiastically. She pushed open the wooden front door and motioned to Katara again before calling out into the building.

"Mom! Natsumi! It's me!"

Standing just outside the doorway, Katara heard a commotion inside. Followed by two feminine squeals. When she finally reached the doorway, she saw Sachi embracing another young woman around the same age as her friend. As they pulled apart, Katara got a good look at the new girl. She was shorter than Sachi and dressed in a plain tunic with hair pulled back into a simple top knot. Her face, Katara noted immediately, was kindly with gentle eyes and lips that seemed to be constantly pulled into a smile. She seemed to be asking Sachi questions as Katara watched her friend nod enthusiastically.

Katara ventured in further, shutting the door almost silently behind her as she stood unassumingly in the corner of the room, not wanting to intrude. The room was rather bare, with the only furniture being a low table at one side of the room, four straw cushions around it, a wooden chest of drawers, and a pile of tatami mats and blankets in the corner. Another door was across from her, probably leading to a kitchen and maybe a restroom.

Sitting at the low table on one of the mats was a woman who Katara quickly realized was watching her. Katara couldn't place her age - perhaps a little older than her father, a little younger than Iroh - but soon the woman was speaking.

"Sachi, dear?" she asked, "Who is your friend?"

Sachi's head snapped towards the older woman, and her cheeks flushed. "Right!'

The older girl crossed the room and motioned for Katara to pull off her boots and put down her basket. Once she had, Sachi then preceded to grab her wrist and pull her into a sitting position before the woman.

"Mother," Sachi said with a smile, "This is Master Katara. She is a personal guest of Fire Lord Zuko. Katara, this is my mother Yoko."

Katara bowed her head in the way Zuko had taught her to bow to nobles, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh!" the older woman said, her face turning red in embarrassment. She waved at Katara quickly, motioning for her to sit up straight. "No need for that sort of bow for me, dear! I am just a servant." The woman laughed and then bowed her head to Katara, "If anything, I should be bowing to you! You are, after all, a personal guest to our Lord."

Katara shook her head and bowed again. "Please no… Today I am just a guest in your house. Thank you so much for having me."

Yoko smiled warmly, "Of course. It is an honor to have you." Rising, the older woman moved towards the doorway. Before exiting, she looked over her shoulder at Katara and Sachi. "Will you two be joining us for breakfast? I'll put on a pot of tea?"

Katara nodded. "That would be lovely."

* * *

After they finished eating, Sachi introduced Katara to the other girl. She was Natsumi, Yori's betrothed. Katara found that she had a personable air, and was very easy to talk to. Along with Yoko's overwhelming motherly presence, Katara easily felt at home in the small house.

"I'm sorry," Katara asked Yoko as she poured her another cup of tea. The other girls had gone into the kitchen to clean their breakfast dishes, and it was just Katara and the older woman in the main room. "I'm not too well-versed in all of the traditions of Fire Nation marriage, but I thought it was custom for a girl to live with her family before her wedding?"

Yoko smiled knowingly, "That's correct, my dear." As she pulled the teapot back, Katara noticed the woman's eyes drift, like she was trying to catch sight of something not fully tangible. After a moment, she sighed.

"Natsumi and Yori have been betrothed for nearly two years now," Yoko said. Katara nodded her head, listening closely as she sipped her tea.

The older woman continued, "That's actually why Yori still works in the palace rather than coming back to the village to take on a different job." She gave Katara a warm smile, "That's what many of the men do when they start a family, you see. But, not my Yori, he's working hard to provide for his future wife." Katara smiled, her fondness for the young soldier increasing.

"Now about Natsumi living with us…" Yoko said. Katara noticed as the woman's voice lowered, "Well… the poor dear has nowhere else to go you see…"

Katara frowned, about to ask why, but Yoko continued.

"You see… both of Natsumi's parents were drafted into the army - something that was very common in the last few years of the war. She and her older brother were left behind, and soon enough, about a year ago the two of them received word by messenger hawk that their parents had both been killed in action... Both drowned at sea during the Siege of the North."

"The Siege of the North?!" Katara gasped. She felt her hands go cold remembering that day about a year ago. When the moon had been filled a blood red and the world had been plunged into darkness. Yoko nodded.

"They had almost made it out too," she said, "But their ship was capsized by the moon spirit."

Katara placed her cup down onto the table, her fingers stiff and a knot growing in her stomach as she tried to respond. How could she explain to the woman sitting before her that the moon spirit was good? That Aang had been trying to preserve a people - her sister tribe - from destruction? Katara bit her lip. All of the words of righteousness couldn't take away from the fact that these kind people had lost people precious to them that day.

As if sensing Katara's hesitation, Yoko reached a hand out to place over Katara's own. Her fingers were warm and calloused from years of kitchen work.

"It's okay, Katara," she said, "I know that you're Water Tribe, but you mustn't blame yourself for what happened. War is an evil thing, and no one comes out unscathed."

Katara nodded, her hand subconsciously reaching up to touch the pendant at her throat. She knew very well what Yoko meant.

"I'm not upset, Katara," another voice said. Katara turned towards the doorway to see Natsumi pulling back the hanging cloth to step into the room. She had a soft smile on her face as she approached to sit next to the waterbender. "My parents obeyed their duty as Fire Nation citizens," she said, giving Katara a teary-eyed smile. "Besides, we're in peace now. You've been helping Fire Lord Zuko, haven't you? Now that our young Lord is in power, citizens will never again be forced to needlessly sacrifice their lives for a tyrant."

Yoko nodded in agreement, "Fire Lord Zuko really is nothing like his ancestors. He's going to restore the honor of our nation."

The twisting feeling in Katara's gut eased a little. She would definitely see to it that Zuko's plans for peace were successful.

"More tea, Katara?"

* * *

Katara and Sachi returned to the palace sometime after dinner. Katara was dead tired after such a long day. After breakfast, Sachi and Natsumi had dragged her around the rest of the village, introducing her to dozens of individuals who lived there. Most were extremely friendly to the girl, some a little more reserved when they caught sight of her blue eyes. All in all, however, Katara had a pleasant - if a little overwhelming - experience.

Still, the thought that plagued her throughout the day was that of the deaths of Natsumi's parents. Unable to sleep, Katara felt a little hypocritical as she slipped out of her room to go for a walk in the winding royal gardens of Caldera. The only sounds that followed were those of the night.

Katara could vividly recall her awe when Aang had become a spirit. At the time, all she could do was bask in the power and in the Avatar. Now, remembering the Fire Nation ships flipping through the waves of water didn't leave her shell-shocked; rather, they left her with an unsettling weight in her chest.

It had been Aang, inadvertantly, who killed Natsumi's parents. Due to her own anger, Katara hadn't realized it at the time, but the Fire Nation soldiers were in fact people. They were people with histories and memories and families and personalities. After living in the land she had once despised - getting to know them and the beauty of their land and culture - Katara only hated the war even more.

The stars above her twinkled faintly. Although, they were not as bright as in the South, the same stars shone above the Fire Nation as in her home. Zuko knew constellations just like she did. He even knew the Fire Nation tales for the fables as well.

As she walked along the path, Katara came into a lovely garden with a small pond in the shade of a tree. It was immensely quiet, but there, sitting on a slab of stone by the pond, was a familiar figure dressed in a deep red cloak. Katara started for a second, what in La's name was he doing out of bed? Any other time she would have scolded him, but her melancholy thoughts sapped her energy. Instead, she approached quietly, her footsteps light in the soft grass.

Zuko turned to look at her as she got closer, his eyebrows raised in surprise. However, when their eyes met he seemed to sense a change in her countenance. He shifted on the seat, making room for her on the stone.

"It was much easier to sneak out of the palace than I thought it would be," Katara murmured as she sat down. There wasn't much room on the stone as their shoulders pressed against each other. Zuko watched her for a moment before his eyes slid back to the pond. He was staring at the reflection of the moon.

"I guess you could say that…"

Their voices were hushed, as if afraid the sharp syllables would pierce the still night.

"How…" Zuko began after a while, "how was your day?"

Katara thought of the village with its kind citizens and friendly faces. She thought of Sachi's ongoing narrative of her life and her home, of Yoko's tea and Natsumi's kind smile. She thought of the sunrise over flames.

"Amazing," Katara said truthfully, "I feel like I've learned so much."

Zuko gave her a half smile in response. "I'm glad. You deserved a day off."

Returning his smile, Katara nodded, "Probably."

They were silent again. Katara pressed the toe of her boot into the grass, her mind still reeling. After a while, she spoke again.

"Do you know Natsumi?" Katara asked, "Yori's betrothed?"

Zuko lifted his chin upwards in thought, after a moment he said, "Yori's spoken of her many times…"

Katara swallowed; she clutched the material of her skirt in her palms. "I met her today," she said, her voice so quiet that it cracked, "She told me about her parents… Soldiers. They drowned in the Siege of the North..."

Zuko didn't speak for a while, but when he did, his voice was even lower than before.

"The war brought a lot of destruction," he said, "but that doesn't mean things can't change." He turned to look at her now, a gentle smile on his face. The soft moonlight even seeming to smooth out rough edges of his scar.

After a while, Zuko turned away to look up at the sky. Soon enough, Katara did too.


	8. Part VII

 

After trying unsuccessfully to go back to bed, Katara found herself making a second trip that night, into the Palace library. It was a sizeable room a few doors down from Zuko’s office. Rows upon rows of shelves crammed full of different sized scrolls and books towered above her from the floor to the ceiling, covering all the walls. Katara assumed that in the daytime the sunlight filtered in through the tall windows at the end of each aisle. In the night, however, she found herself forced to light lanterns along her path one at a time. How easy it would be for a firebender.

 

It wasn’t Katara’s first visit to the library so found what she was looking for without much trouble: history scrolls. She was soon sitting on the ground, unfurling heavy scrolls and holding up her lantern to get a better look at the information before her.

 

Yes, Zuko had been drilling her in Fire Nation policy - well enough in fact that with immense amounts of luck she was able to follow the council members’ discussions - but Katara couldn’t help but feel as if simply absorbing the knowledge was inadequate. She wanted to understand  _why_. Why did the Fire Lord have a counsel? Why did some families constitute as nobility while others didn’t? How did the military structure work?

 

Born into a people on the other side of the war, it wasn’t like Katara had much education on the history of the Fire Nation. For years of her life the Fire Nation was an abyss home to evil soldiers, not real people. In her imagination, they were all men with dark helmets and evil eyes that brought black snow and death to her home. It wasn’t until after all that she had seen in the world, that she realized the world wasn’t black and white. Each nation had its own dark and light aspects, including the Fire Nation. After visiting the servant village, after seeing the sunrise from the edge of the crater, after reminiscing about the weeks her and her friends had spent undercover, and especially after spending countless hours with Zuko and seeing the ardent love he had for his people and his nation, Katara couldn’t help the desire rising in her chest. She wanted to understand. She wanted to know more about this unfamiliar country, its culture, its  _everything._

 

So, she turned to the scrolls.

 

The Southern Water Tribe was a small community, but it was once rather different. They never had the lavish city the North boasted, but the South used to consist of more than one village. In the years before the war, they were a community scattered amongst the ice and snow into several villages all interconnected with each other. The history of her tribe - Katara knew - was recorded informally through stories and shared memories. To those in the South, a story told around the fire about a lone warrior prowling the arctic was not just entertainment, it was their heritage.

 

At first as she read, Katara couldn’t help but notice how differently the Fire Nation recorded its history. Each statement was factual and as crisp as the black ink it was written in. Names of people and places were properly attributed. Events were recorded with exact dates. Even numerical records appeared accurate to the last digit.

 

But as she delved further she wasn’t so sure.

 

The histories gradually melted into stories: grand, fantastical, and ancient stories similar to the ones she could easily imagine herself hearing in the light of a campfire, bundled in furs with the scent of roasted fish tickling her nose.

 

Volcanos raising land from the depths of the ocean. Dragons soaring high above the clouds. Young heroes with fire in both their hands and their hearts.

 

Courage. Loyalty. Honor. Love.

 

As Katara found her way to the beginning her sense of familiarity. She realized she had heard the first story before - from Zuko.

 

She read until the rising sun made itself known.

 

* * *

 

Zuko had missed Katara at breakfast that morning. Apparently, she’d slept in. He was hardly surprised by this as the two of them had sat in the garden until midnight before they parted ways. He had continued work as usual, unconcerned as he had no doubt Katara would catch up to him soon enough. When she appeared in his office a few sparks past breakfast, Zuko’s lip curled into a smirk, a comment forming on his tongue as he was fully prepared to tease her the moment she glanced over.

 

The chance failed to arrive, however, as Katara breezed right to her nook in the opposite corner of her office, paying no attention to him as she pulled papers before her with a thoughtful expression on her face. After their initial skirmish, Katara had created an impromptu desk for herself in the opposite corner of Zuko’s office by pushing together the two largest tables as well as two chairs: one for her to sit on and the other for her to prop her feet up on. The glossy surfaces of the tables gradually became littered with parchment, brushes, ink trays, and a few of Iroh’s gifted trinkets turned paperweights as Katara took on more and more of Zuko’s work. Usually the stacks of paper blocked the Fire Lord’s view of his friend, but at the moment he could just catch sight of the top of her head over the smallest stack, the light from the window creating a soft halo about it.

 

For a moment, Zuko thought to ask about her morning, but he stopped himself, turning his attention begrudgingly back to his work. He didn’t really have time for casual conversation right now.

 

According to the report that Wei had brought him, the towns in the more rural parts of the country were in a disarray. The price of rice was rising in the outskirts of the nation. Many of the smaller towns were having trouble providing for the influx of returning soldiers.

 

After a few hours, Katara called him from across the room. Zuko looked up at her blankly, eyes glazed from running over miles of script.

 

There was a moment of silence until Katara tentatively asked: “You - ah - have meetings with some nobility from Kirachu today right?”

 

Blinking as her words registered, Zuko raised an eyebrow at his friend. He had no doubt Katara had his schedule memorized even better than he did, so why was she asking him pointless questions?

 

She pursed her lip, and spoke again, “Well?”

 

_Might as well see what she’s up to_ , Zuko thought, releasing a slow sigh.

 

“Yes, Katara,” he said, his voice tinged with confusion, “The meetings are scheduled for two sparks from now as I’m sure you know…”

 

Katara’s entire head was now fully visible over the stack of paperwork. Zuko eyed the eagerness in her expression suspiciously. After a moment she smiled, her bright blue eyes sending an unwarranted chill down Zuko’s spine in what he called dread.

 

“I’m just double checking because I decided I’m going to come with you.”

 

Zuko merely blinked at her. “W-what?”

 

“I’m going to start sitting in at your meetings.”

 

“Katara…” Zuko started, biting back a sigh as he put his brush down, “I thought we talked about why that wasn’t a good idea… It was hard enough to get the counsel to agree to let you in on meetings - In fact I’m sure we owe that to leverage from the Fire Sages… but sitting in on meetings with nobility? That’s a little different....”

 

Katara pouted at him. “Come on, Zuko, I can handle myself!”

 

“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Zuko he replied, “It’s the nobles. A lot of them still aren’t even friendly with me, let alone with someone from the Water Tribes.”

 

Katara was on her feet now, her entire frame visible to Zuko and lit by the angled light of the morning sun.

 

“That’s why I want to go,” she said resolutely, “If I’m going to be of any help with the treaty drafts I need to know what your people think of mine.”

 

“I’m sure you can guess what they think of you," Zuko said rolling his eyes, "Or at least I can tell you.”

 

Katara didn’t say anything, she just stood there staring at him resolutely. Zuko sighed, “Katara..."

 

“Zuko. I need to do this.”

 

Her words were quiet, but the sentence ended with a harsh grate of desperation. Zuko couldn’t deny the expression from the previous night still lingered in her eyes.

 

He sighed. He knew they’d reached a moot point. No one could stop Katara from doing what she thought was right.

 

“Fine,” he conceded, rolling his eyes but biting back a smirk at Katara’s delighted face.

 

“But,” he quickly added, “you shouldn't talk unless it's absolutely necessary.”

 

Immediately, Katara’s smile dropped, “But-”

 

Zuko interjected. “Just for the first time. We don’t know what will happen, and I think this would be best.”

 

Pouting and dropping back into her seat, Katara was silent for a moment. “Fine.”

 

Zuko smiled and picked up his brush.

 

* * *

 

Katara felt apprehensive as they approached the large throne room. She had expected the meetings to be more personable, especially with higher ranking officials, but Zuko had given her a quick explanation that using the throne room was customary.

 

“It’s an old tradition,” he told her as they walked down the corridor. The center of the palace was more ornate than the wings they usually resided in, and Katara trailed a bit behind Zuko as her eyes wandered towards the high ceilings.

 

“The Fire Lord is supposed to sit above everyone else in a room, and no one is supposed to be allowed to look at his face directly.”

 

“That sounds incredibly dramatic,” Katara said, turning to give Zuko a teasing grin as they walked.

 

“I agree,” he responded with a roll of his eyes. “But I do hope it’s something I can change eventually.”

 

Now, Katara sat on a cushion next to the members of Zuko’s council; although, she was partially hidden in the shadow of a column. She assumed it was a precaution in the hopes that the nobles would not notice the presence of an outsider. She watched silently as Wei guided a group of people - a man and two women with a servant - before Zuko. The servant knelt by the door and the three others fell prostrate to the ground as Wei introduced them.

 

The governor rose from his bow to sit on his heels. He was a stern looking man, Katara noted, with an expression that reminded her of an old master - maybe Jeong Jeong… or even Pakku. Katara noted, however, that his head remained inclined; even as Zuko spoke he did not raise his eyes to meet him. It was just as Zuko had told her: traditionally no one would look at the Fire Lord’s face in the throne room.

 

“Fire Lord Zuko,” Tao said, “Thank you for welcoming my family into the palace.”

 

The two women rose into a sitting position as well and the older of the two began to speak. She had a softer expression than her husband, and she folded her hands into her sleeves as she spoke. “My Lord, my daughter and I are thankful to be allowed to accompany my husband. We are truly blessed to be in your presence.”

 

The daughter did not speak but her head bobbed slightly as if she were nodding. She looked very beautiful. Her robes were a deep burgundy with gold stitching, the folds falling gracefully from her shoulders in the delicate way that only expensive fabrics did.

 

Wei cleared his throat, “Now… what news do you bring before our Lord?”

 

“As you know, my Lord, Kirachu is located in the Foji district, and for many years, our district has been an economic stronghold for this great nation. One that has facilitated our advancements as our factories produce masses of high quality machinery.”

 

“We are aware, Governor” a member of the council inserted, “the people of Caldera have long been appreciative of Kirachu’s contributions.”

 

The Governor nodded solemnly, “Thank you, Councilman. We too have been very thankful for the support the capital has provided towards our production and economy. However, it pains me to admit that in the wake of the war and from what I have witnessed, I am fearful for Kirachu’s future.”

 

“Fearful, you say?” the same member of the council spoke up again. Katara didn’t have to turn in their direction to know which Councilman it was: the tall thin one with a long face. She believed his name was Ito.

 

Even in these past few months our people find no work in the factories and our soldiers return to find no jobs, no income. Every day, hundreds of citizens – your people – come to me asking for help and mourning the prosperity they once knew.”

 

At this point the Governor paused. His voice had been steadily rising and Katara saw his wife look over at him, her hand reaching forward to touch his. From where she sat Katara imagined he was taking a deep breath to collect himself. The council remained quiet.

 

The governor’s voice soon gained solidity as he continued, “There are no jobs, no money, no food. The factories are empty, resources become harder to come by. Your people demand to know what the end of the war will do for them. What you will do for them?” His voice did not waver. “Forgive me, my Lord, but I cannot help but think of the opportunities that you have thrown away.”

 

“Opportunities wasted in the process of restoring peace?” Katara heard a councilmember ask. She looked up from her notes to see it had been Councilwoman Liu. Despite the atmosphere, Katara smiled. She had always liked her.

 

The Governor was not fazed, in fact his voice began to rise again. “My Lord, our people have sacrificed much for the sake of this war. For the sake of the Fire Nation! For the belief in our own superiority, yet you throw away our efforts in order to pander to the requests of others. Is your duty as the Fire Lord not to your people first?”

 

The servants on the edges of the room began to whisper. Katara put her brush down, glancing cautiously between the different figures in the room.

 

“Because of this, I come to you with a proposal,” Tao stated brusquely.

 

As if on cue, the servant stepped forward from where he had been standing at the side of the room and handed a scroll to Wei and another to Zuko.

 

Wei did not speak, his eyes running over the scroll that was handed to him before passing it to another member on the council. Katara longed to sneak a glance up to see Zuko’s expression. She wondered what he was thinking, but was wise enough not to turn to face him. Instead, she watched the other councilmembers as the scroll was passed along and each of their faces fell.

 

There was some chattering amongst the members of the council. Wei and Zuko not speaking up at all. Finally, Councilwoman Liu spoke again: “Governor Tao, to me this does not sound much like a proposal. What are you insinuating?”

 

“I feel as though I was very clear, Councilwoman,” Tao stated with a steely glance across the floor at her. “This so-called “era of peace” you all are fostering has brought nothing to this country! I demand results – concrete results. If you do not provide them, well… my people are destined for expansion.”

 

By this time, a servant had taken the scroll and passed it to Katara. She looked over it briefly seeing words like “overseas production” and “seizing foreign resources”. Her stomach dropped.

 

“That is not your decision to make,” the councilwoman retorted sharply, “You do not have the authority.”

 

_It is our duty as the people of Fire to burn our legacy upon those peoples unenlightened._  The sinking feeling in her stomach settled and turned over and over, washing over itself and morphing into a heat. A rage.

 

Katara’s hands shook.

 

Governor Tao slammed his fists down onto the floor. “Lack of authority?” He spat, eyes wild. “The one who lacks authority is this child! He abandons our country and flirts with foreign savages, and yet I am expected to bow before him!”

 

In the back of her mind, Katara knew there were some proclamations of outrage from the council, but the ringing in her ears drowned them out. She dropped the scroll, and it slid to the floor with a soft thud as she abruptly got to her feet, biting words on the tip of her tongue. She felt eyes on her – the council, the servants, Wei, but thankfully not the Governor, his daughter, or wife. Her fists clenched, but before she spoke, she heard Zuko’s voice for the first time.

 

“Governor Tao,” Zuko began in a low and joltingly calm voice. “I apologize.”

 

His words appeared to catch the air in the room as everyone fell silent. The eyes turned away from Katara and her breath caught in her throat. She stood still, face flushed and heart pounding.

 

“I apologize,” he continued, “for the difficulties your people have experienced these last few months.”

 

The Governor sat aghast for a moment This was the first time Zuko addressed anyone directly within the past hour. The Governor’s wife and daughter’s heads lowered further towards the ground in what Katara assumed was something akin to embarrassment. Finally, the Governor scowled and spoke in a low voice, “Your apologies fall flat, Young Lord.”

 

“I understand that my words may not be to your taste,” Zuko continued, his voice still unwaveringly cool. He picked up the scroll gingerly, an amused expression on his face as he held it. “However, I must address the fact that despite your concerns for your people, your proposal is tainted with your… unwarranted ideologies about international affairs. The two are of course connected, but I do agree with Councilwoman Liu that those matters are outside of your control. Not only that, but I will not allow for your type of ideologies anymore.”

 

“I cann– “the Governor started, but Zuko was not finished speaking.

 

“Again, Governor, I would suggest you focus on the matter you came here to discuss. Please do not speak about anything that you don’t have knowledge to speak on, frankly, it’s a waste of all of our time.” While speaking, he gazed sternly down at the man before him.

 

Having retreated to her sitting position in a daze, Katara realized with shock that she was staring at Zuko as he spoke. For a moment before she collected her senses, she didn’t recognize her friend sitting upon the throne in his glistening gold and red robes. He spoke with an eloquence she hardly believed he possessed. His voice echoed about the room; His hairpiece glinted at her in the light of the lanterns.

 

She quickly turned away from the Fire Lord with cheeks flushed. Vaguely, she registered him question the council for their opinion, but her mind was racing. He had warned her to be cautious around the nobles and not let her emotions get the best of her, yet here she had been, feeling the same rage as the day she challenged Master Pakku.

 

_Not here,_ she told herself carefully,  _this is a battle of words, not whips._

The Council murmured amongst themselves for a few moments, and then Councilman Ito spoke up.

 

“My Lord, I believe we are in agreement that perhaps a group can be formed to work on this issue. We suggest a representative from the palace to work alongside a representative from Kirachu. Perhaps a member of the advisory board?”

 

“I agree,” Zuko replied. “This is something that we can arrange this coming week and bring to you at a later date, Governor. I would have preferred a quicker solution, but I promise we will be thorough. I hope you find this acceptable for the mean time.”

 

The Governor didn’t reply for a moment. His wife and daughter looked apprehensive; Katara noticed the former’s hand rest atop of her husband’s for the second time that afternoon. Was it there to calm him or restrain him?

 

Finally, he replied: “Perhaps. If this is the best you can offer me for now, I will accept it.”

 

“Delightful,” Wei responds immediately, rising and approaching the three crouched figures. “Under the Fire Lord’s guidance, we will deliberate and contact you soon. We, of course, expect a prompt response.”

 

As if that were their cue, the three of them rose to their feet and bowed towards Zuko. The Governor apparently refused to speak again, so after a moment's pause, the Governor’s wife cleared her throat and stated: “As you wish. We thank my Lord for listening.”

 

All eyes followed them out of the room, including Katara’s. As they exited the door, however; she briefly wondered if the Governor’s daughter had noticed her in the corner of the room for she swore she met her eye as they left.

 

* * *

 

Following the hearing, Katara found herself in the garden with the turtle ducks. The late afternoon air was warm, but tolerable given that it was the dry season. The turtle ducks hid in the shade on the banks of the pond, underneath the plants.

 

Katara heard footsteps behind her, “Did you bring some bread?” she asked without turning around.

 

“I’m afraid not. Perhaps the young Lord will bring some to you.”

 

Startled, Katara looked over her shoulder to find Wei a few paces away. She relaxed a bit, but only marginally. The old man had a sharp tongue and she wasn’t too sure where they stood in relation to each other.

 

“Oh. Hello, Wei. I don’t often see you in this wing of the palace.”

 

Wei didn’t come closer to her, choosing to remain on the walkway rather than venturing onto the grass. “I usually don’t have a reason to come this way.”

 

Katara gave him a wary smile. “Well, I hope it was the turtle duck pond you were searching for today.”

 

Wei responded with what sounded like a chuckle before he continued: “Not exactly, but it is an added bonus I must admit.”

 

Unsure of how to reply, Katara turns her face to watch the turtle ducks in the shade. The male and female nestle close to each other under the reeds.

 

“I must admit I was surprised to see you in the meeting today,” Wei mentions to her calmly. The female turtle duck lifts her wing to nip at her feathers before nestling back into a comfortable position. Katara turns to look at Wei.

 

“It took a lot of convincing on my part to get Zuko to agree to that,” she replied with a sigh.

 

“And what exactly was your motivation, may I ask?”

 

The question startled Katara. The old man’s expression was unreadable, but Katara didn’t sense any hostility in his question. She paused, mulling over her answer before speaking.

 

“I’d like to learn more about your country,” she replied. Wei raised an eyebrow in response, causing Katara to look away before she spoke again.

 

“For the longest time – especially before the end of the war – I hadn’t been sure what to make of the Fire Nation. I’ve met many different people here. Both good and bad, and both experiences have really opened up my eyes.” Katara paused for a moment, trying to find the precise wording to express her feelings. “I think now, I’d like to form my own opinion.”

 

“I see,” Wei responded. The two fell silent again, the only sound that afternoon was the buzz of insects.

 

“You aren’t afraid of how some people may perceive you?” Wei asked.

 

“What do you mean?” she replied. The man shrugged.

 

“You read the scroll Governor Tao brought in. A lot of people still are not very friendly towards foreigners. They may not be for a while. Does this not bother you? Our people see you this way, yet you still choose to stay.”

 

_Did it bother me?_ Katara was quiet as she watched the water of the pond ripple in the wind. The turtle ducks decided to venture out onto the water. They paddled slowly around each other in the center of the pool.

 

“It does bother me,” she reasoned. “People from the Fire Nation destroyed my culture, and hearing people like Tao refer to us as “savages” … of course it bothers me…” There was no response from the old man, so Katara continued.

 

“But still… I want to know what the Fire Nation thinks of my people and the rest of the world so that I can help change the negatives. I know not everyone is like Tao. I know there will be others who want peace as much as we do. I’ve seen the war cause pain in so many places – not just my home but also Omashu, the North, even a Fire Nation fishing village once. I know there’s a lot of damage on both sides, and it will take a while for the damage to heal.”

 

The turtle ducks circled each other.

 

“It will be difficult – what I’m doing or what Zuko or Aang or any of our friends are doing, but that’s okay,” she turned to look at Wei now with a wistful smile. The old man was expressionless again, but she didn’t feel threatened.

 

“At the end of it all… the world will find its balance again.”

 

A blush crept up on Katara’s cheeks. She couldn’t help but think she sounded eerily similar to her Ember Island Player counterpart. She almost wished she could take back what she said.

 

Despite the cheesiness, Wei simply raised his eyebrows in response. His wrinkled, stoic face still did not betray any of his emotions. After a moment, he gave her a nod.

 

“I wish you luck with that… Master Katara.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is 4:15 AM, but I needed to finish this so that I can work on my essay. I'm back to this fic now, after two (?) years. It's been a while, and my writing style may have changed - or hopefully improved. Despite whether or not that's true, my feelings towards Zutara stay the same forever.
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> Hopefully, see you all soon with more updates.


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